Challenges of Tomorrow:A New Day Awaits
by kouhaixsempai
Summary: SEQUEL of "WHEN I MET YOU":Everyone's living a happy and peaceful life with the Yamabukis out of the way,but then,someone else decides to step in.Without knowing it,their lives will once again be thrown into a whirl to face the new challenge of tomorrow.
1. Another Beginning!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara**

**-Hey there guys. : ) I'm back with the sequel of my first story "When I Met You". **

**-First, I want to thank everyone who read the first story, and I hope that you also like the sequel. This is the first chapter and please tell me what you guys think about it. **

**-The first paragraph in the story is ?'s P.O.V before it starts the real story. **

**-The first chapter is basically what happens a few weeks after the last chapter of When I Met You, so there are parts when I re-introduce some of the character's background. **

**-Anyway, that's it you guys, I hope you like the first chapter. Please Review and tell me what you think. Just like before, ideas and insights are always welcome : ) Thanks again everyone! :D**

**Another Beginning!**

**?'s P.O.V.**

A cool breeze swept through the bustling town of Corinth as the people were in the markets, in the streets and doing their daily chores. A certain young boy walked around the town and looked at his surroundings quizzically and curiously. He found it odd that such a profound kingdom would have such a care free town. He looked up the night sky and smiled, a smile one could not comprehend. As he smiled at the sky and spoke "I wonder if we can finally find what we're looking for here…."

**A Few Days Later…**

The town of Corinth was filled with bustling people and filled with the happy and jolly voices of the townsfolk. A certain blonde princess paced herself quickly around town, she was in such a hurry, filled with excitement that she didn't even bother putting on some type of disguise. She walked briskly and entered and all too familiar restaurant. As she entered, she was greeted with shocked looks, shocked faces and people greeted the princess with smiles.

"Ah Hime-sama, have you come to see the Souma brothers?" asked a man with a smile.

"Yes, are they in?" she asked kindly.

"Why yes, wait here for a moment." Said the man and then he called "Oi! You have a guest waiting for you! Don't make her wait long."

"Coming!" As the voice replied, a boy with brownish hair and bright emerald eyes emerged from the stairs and smiled at the princess.

"Kukai!" The said princess, Tsukiyomi Utau, exclaimed with excitement.

Kukai Souma, one of the restaurants main owners, smiled. "Morning Utau!" He spoke as he approached his fiancée and gave her a hug.

"I'm so glad you're here. I couldn't stand being with just Yoru there in the palace, and all he ever does is day dream about Miki." Said Utau with a laugh.

"Yeah, well that's nothing new now is it?" said Kukai.

"Hey, no mushy stuff during work." This voice belonged to Daichi, Kukai's younger brother.

"Funny, when did that rule get issued?" asked Kukai.

"I made it, just now." Replied Daichi "But I guess I can make an exception for Utau-nee." He's made it a habit of his to call her Utau-nee now, ever since they got engaged.

Utau blushed and spoke "W-we're not even married yet. Father postponed it a few weeks ago remember?"

"I know, but since you're going to be my sister in law anyway, might as well call you that." Said Daichi with a smirk.

"You don't call him Kukai-nii, so why me? It makes me sound old." Huffed Utau.

"Leave him Utau, he's going to get tired of it eventually." Said Kukai with a laugh. "He's just messing with you because he knows that you're older than me."

"We have an age difference of a year! It's not even that big." Said Utau.

"Yeah, but that's the way he wants it to go, so just leave him be." Said Kukai. "The honorific might not even last."

"Oh it better not last." Said Utau with a playful glare at the two brothers.

"Anyway, why are you here so early in the morning?" asked Kukai.

"I just wanted to come for a visit. Plus, I wanted to tell you that mother and father have chosen the new dates for the wedding." Said Utau with a smile.

"Then I take it that their friend who couldn't attend before is coming?" asked Kukai.

"Yeah, they said that they'll be coming soon. In fact they're sons are already around. They're somewhere in the kingdom, and they'll be staying in the palace when they arrive here." Said Utau.

"Whoa, wait up…sons?" asked Kukai. "I thought they said they had a son, not sons."

Utau shrugged "I don't know much of the details too, but mother said that they had sons, meaning there's more than one."

"And how many exactly are there?" asked Kukai. He was not comfortable with the idea of Utau being in one place with lots of guys, the idea was not something Kukai was open for.

"Well, I'm not sure. Two I think, but I don't know really." Replied Utau and then she asked "Why exactly do you ask?"

"Hn, it's nothing." Replied Kukai with a sigh.

"Okay…Uh…so where's Amu-chan right now?" asked Daichi "You said you were with Yoru, so where are Amu-chan and Ikuto-kun?"

"Out." Replied Utau.

"Out?" asked Daichi.

"Yeah, they're in the forest right now." Said Utau with a smile.

"The forest? What could they be doing there?" wondered Daichi.

Why would Ikuto and Amu want to spend time in a place like a forest? What could they possibly be doing there now?

In a deep place within the forest near the palace, Hinamori Amu, the once rumored to have been deceased, was with the kingdoms prince, Tsukiyomi Ikuto. The two of them decided to spend their time off, in the place where things really began between them. Ikuto's 'place of peace' as he would call it.

Amu sat on one of the wooden benches in the area as she listened to the melodious sound of Ikuto's violin. He was a very talented violinist, a talent only a few knew of, and he would always be willing to play for Amu whenever she desired.

Ikuto stopped after playing another song and he set his violin back in its case, as he sat down beside his fiancée. "How was that?" he asked her.

"That was nice Ikuto, thanks." Said Amu with a smile.

"Hm, you're lucky I play whenever you want me to without asking for anything in return." Said Ikuto with a sigh.

"Do you want anything in return?" asked Amu curiously.

Ikuto, being that sly person that he was, smirked at this. "Why do you ask? Will you give me something I want from you?"

"T-that depends on what it is." Replied Amu, as she saw his smirk, she wished she never asked.

Ikuto chuckled as he saw her face turn into a shade as red as a tomato. "My, my, Amu-koi, what were you thinking in that head of yours?"

"Wh-what?" asked Amu as she turned even redder than before.

Ikuto pulled his face closer to hers and spoke "Were you thinking perverted thoughts again? Tsk, that's not very healthy you know."

"St-stop that! I was not thinking like that!" retorted Amu.

"Then, do you mind telling me why you're so red?" he asked her, and to make things work in his favor, he hugged her tight as if never wanting to let go. "Hm?"

Amu blinked, and she couldn't speak. It's been a while since Ikuto's been this…affectionate? She didn't even know if that was the right word to describe it. "Hey…Ikuto…cut it out already…." She told him.

"You're so cute when you do that Amu." He told her.

"Stop teasing me." She said with a huff.

"Honestly, you and Utau act the same, you know that? You're both so stubborn sometimes." Ikuto said with a smile.

"That's just because you like teasing me a lot." She replied.

"I don't know what will happen when the day comes that I stop teasing you. I've become quite fond of it." Replied Ikuto.

"Yeah, I can see that." Said Amu. As she looked around the forest area, she smiled. "You know, it's like the first time I ran into you here. When I was…punished." She shuddered at the memory of the punishment.

Ikuto frowned "I don't think you should be smiling like that then. It wasn't a good memory." He said seriously.

"I'm smiling because that was the time when I was taken to the palace, and I got to know you." Said Amu.

"Hm, I guess that's true. If you never came here, I would have never found you." Said Ikuto. He would have never imagined he'd learn to care for her the way he did, but he was glad that it happened.

"So, the wedding dates will be rescheduled now right?" asked Amu as she turned her face to look at Ikuto. He was still hugging her, so she couldn't turn completely.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter how long it is until it's rescheduled. As long as you stay with me and the rest of us, and your step family doesn't come back, then it's fine." Said Ikuto.

"My step family…" Amu thought back and remembered the life she lived before she met Ikuto and Utau. Her life was a mess and if it weren't for her friends, worse things could have happened to her.

By the end of the issue, when the Yamabuki family were found out, Amu and the others were left to decide the verdict. In the end, they didn't want to do something as harsh as to execute the Yamabukis, but they were sentenced to a lifetime in house arrest in a small cottage in a deep forest area outside the borders of the kingdom. This, and the fact that they can never enter the kingdom again.

"You okay?" asked Ikuto.

"Yeah…I'm fine, thanks." Replied Amu.

"Don't worry, no one's going to hurt you again…I promise." Said Ikuto with a smile, before he slowly bent down to kiss her, taking her thoughts away from other things but that moment alone.

While Amu and Ikuto were enjoying their time together, since they've had some spare time since the wedding was said to be postponed to a later date, all was also going well in the Hinamori mansion. This estate that once belonged to the Yamabukis was now back to its rightful owners. When Amu and everyone of her friends was able to clear out all of the things that weren't theirs, the mansion became a home to all.

Amu's little sister, Ami Hinamori, who was once taken in by a close friend, was now back in her own home. She was safe and there was no need for fear and desperate measures to be taken. All of the mansion's residents had stayed as well.

The four friends of Amu stayed to keep the house tidy and clean and took care of Ami. Ran, Su, Miki and Dia were doing a great job.

"This is amazing~desu!" said Su as she looked at the dresses before her.

"Amu-chan's going to love it." Said Dia with a smile "Nice job Miki, we could never expect less from you."

Miki, the one with a talent for fashion and such, had tailored Amu's wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses and they were stunning as ever. "My talent amazes me too!" exclaimed Miki as the others sweat dropped.

"Just don't go getting a big head." Mashiro Rima, another close friend, said with a smile.

"Rima-chan!" exclaimed Ran "I thought you were with Nagi."

Nagihiko Fujisaki, who once lived under the alias of Nadeshiko, was one of Amu's childhood friends. "I am…I mean, I was…" replied Rima as she turned away slightly.

"You didn't get into a fight did you?" asked Dia.

"No." replied Rima.

"She just wanted to come inside first." Nagihiko spoke as he entered the room.

"Speak of the devil, you got here rather fast didn't you Nagi?" asked Ran with a slight laugh.

"I just wanted to avoid you guys teasing Rima-chan again." Said Nagihiko.

"You don't always need to be here you know." Said Rima "I can take care of myself."

"I know that." He told her with a smile "I just want to be here for you when I can."

"…" Rima stayed silent, but she blushed and her face slightly became red.

The others in the room couldn't help but giggle, and Nagihiko just smiled. A few weeks after Kukai's proposal, when the Yamabukis were finally given their sentence, Rima and Nagihiko stated that they were officially together. It was no big news to anyone, what shocked them was the fact that Rima had admitted it, although with a little hesitation.

"Onii-chan!" They all turned around to see Ami running toward them, or rather, toward Nagihiko.

"Ami, you're supposed to be napping." Said Nagihiko as he carried the little girl into his arms.

"No, I'm awake now! I want to play!" said Ami with a smile.

Nagihiko chuckled, "Demo, you have to wait for Yaya-chan to get here."

"Why? Onii-chan, you play with me." Said Ami.

"I'd love to Ami, but I still have some things that need to be taken care of." Said Nagihiko.

"Looks like you guys need some help~nya." Yoru, a good friend of the royals, suddenly came in.

"Yoru!" exclaimed Miki happily as she went over to hug him. Yoru was a good friend of the royals and also lives in the palace.

"Would you look at that." Said Ran with a smile.

"Now, now Ran." Said Dia with a light giggle "Miki will admit everything when she's ready."

Miki and Yoru have been seeing each other a lot for quite some time now. The others have been asking for her to admit that she and Yoru were seeing each other, but they haven't managed to get anything out of her…yet.

"So Yoru, what are you doing here all of a sudden? And how did you get inside?" asked Ran curiously.

"The front door was open~nya. And I didn't have any work today." Said Yoru with a smile.

"Figures, Ikuto is probably somewhere with Amu-chan. Not to mention that Utau is probably with Kukai too." Said Rima.

"I can stay here and play with Ami too~nya." Said Yoru with a smile.

"Really? Now that would be nice. Wouldn't it Ami? Yoru-nii can play with you." Said Nagihiko.

"Yay!" Ami ran over and clung to Yoru. "Let's play!"

"Okay~nya." Said Yoru as he held Ami and carried her to the garden.

"Why don't you go join them Miki? Ami would love another play mate." Said Dia with a smile.

"Alright, are sure you guys will be fine here?" asked Miki.

" Of course, you go on ahead." Sais Dia as she glanced and winked at the others.

Ran and Su giggled and Rima just smiled. "Better hurry Miki, you wouldn't want to make them wait." Said Rima.

"Tell Yoru-kun I said thank you." Said Nagihiko.

"I will, well then, I'll see you guys later." Miki then walked briskly to the garden.

"Well, we better hurry and clean it up here. I need to go to Daichi's place today." Said Ran.

"Oh? Why~desu?" asked Su " Did you two make any plans for today?"

Ran suddenly blushed. "Y-yeah. He said he was taking me to dinner, you know, just the two of us."

"Aw, you're going on your first real date~desu." Said Su with a happy sigh.

Ran and Daichi started dating a few days before Rima and Nagihiko did. Many of them have found their other halves after the final incident. There are still quite a few who haven't though. Some, like Miki and Yoru, won't admit it, but others just haven't noticed or found it yet.

Meanwhile, as the day goes on in the Hinamori mansion, the market place is as noisy and crowded as ever. A certain store owner was currently with his best friend. The people in the market were bustling about and these two were simply enjoying the other's company.

"See? I told you that Nagi and Rima-chan would admit it eventually." Said Rhythm, the store owner, and a brother figure to Nagihiko.

"True, I haven't seen Nagi interested in anyone in my life so this is very new to me. I'm happy for him though." Said Temari with a smile. She happens to be Rhythm's childhood friend and Nagihiko's older sister.

"Things have been going well lately, this feels nice." Said Rhythm "We no longer have to worry about things anymore."

"You can never tell." Said Temari "But a little peace is always good for everyone."

"That's true." Agreed Rhythm "But it's good to see things going well."

As the two of them were talking, a unknown voice was heard. "Excuse me…"

Temari and Rhythm both turned to look at the boy who spoke. They could tell that it was a boy from how he spoke. They turned and saw a boy, who seemed younger than them, with light brown hair and brown eyes.

"Oh…hello, is there something we can do for you?" asked Temari. She's never seen this boy in her life.

"I happen to be new in town." Said the young boy "Actually, my brother and I can't seem to find our around here."

"Brother?" asked Rhythm. "And you mentioned that you're new here?"

"Yes, my older brother and I need to find our way around. May I ask for help?" he asked politely.

"Of course, can you tell us where you need to go?" asked Temari. "And may we know your name?"

"My name? Oh how rude of me, I'm Kenta." He said with a bright smile.

"Okay then Kenta-kun, where do you need to go?" asked Rhythm.

"I just need to find my way out of the market place, thank you. This place was so crowded that I happen to get lost because of the huge crowd." Kenta explained as he placed a hand on the back of his head.

"But didn't you mention that you had a brother? Is he with you?" asked Rhythm. He figured that if Kenta had a brother, why would he be left here alone?

"My brother went on ahead. I can find my way through the kingdom once I get out of the marketplace." He told them.

"I see, then we'll be more than happy to help you. I'll take you out of the marketplace and hopefully you'll be able to find your way back from there." Said Temari.

"Of course, just leave that part to me." Said Kenta and then he spoke "I apologize for this. I never expected to get lost."

"Oh it's fine. Almost everyone gets lost during their first time here in the marketplace." Said Temari "Come now."

"Stay safe." Called Rhythm as he watched them walk further away from his shop.

"We will. I'll be back later okay?" called Temari.

Temari took Kenta out of the marketplace and back to the main streets of town. The people there were not as rowdy as the ones in the market and their number dropped quite nicely. Kenta sighed and spoke "Thank you so much. I owe you my gratitude."

"You're more than welcome. Next time you come for a visit in the market, try to bring someone with you." Advised Temari.

"Alright. Thank you so much once again. I have to go now." Said Kenta as he bowed and quickly ran and left.

"What a strange boy." Mumbled Temari as she sighed and walked back towards the marketplace to share her insights with Rhythm.

When she got back, Rhythm was waiting for her and he asked "Were you able to take him there?"

"Yes, he seemed to be in a hurry once he got out." Said Temari "It was rather odd."

"Well, his brother could have been waiting for him." Said Rhythm with a shrug.

"He's really not from here is he? But he said that he can find his way through the rest of the kingdom." Stated Temari.

"The marketplace must be somewhere he's never entered before. But if he knows his way around than that must mean he's a noble of some sort." Rhythm thought it was odd for someone to know his way around the kingdom, but couldn't find his way out of a marketplace.

"His family must be strict with him, this does bring about the possibility that he is a noble." Said Temari as she thought about it.

"Well, we'll probably never see him around here again." Inquired Rhythm.

"I guess so. I just hope he made it back safely." As Temari and Rhythm dropped the topic about Kenta, one couldn't help but wonder…who is Kenta anyway?

It wasn't long after meeting Kenta that Temari had to go back to the Fujisaki household. As she went inside, she saw Yuiki Yaya, one of her dance students and a friend of the family, along with Sanjo Kairi, who helps with his sister's work in the palace.

"My, you two seem to be here a lot lately." Said Temari.

"Temari-nee! You're back!" stated Yaya.

"Hello Fujisaki-san." Greeted Kairi with a smile.

"Now Kairi, we talked about this, Fujisaki-san is just too formal. You can call me Temari-nee as well." Said Temari, she knew that Kairi can be too polite sometimes.

"Okay…Fujisa-…I mean, Temari-neesan." Stated Kairi.

"That's a whole lot better. Thank you Kairi. Do you want some tea?" she asked them.

"I love your tea!" exclaimed Yaya "It's like how Nagi makes it."

"How about you Kairi?" she asked him.

"Of course, that would be nice, thank you." Said Kairi as Temari went to the kitchen to make them some tea.

After the incident with the Misuzawa and Yamabuki family, Kairi has been visiting the town a lot. It was like when Utau was first drawn to Kukai and she couldn't stop wanting to see him. Kairi started to get close to Yaya and the two of them see each other often now. The others have been betting that it wouldn't be long until the two got together, but of course, with them being the youngest, no one's in a hurry.

"Ne Kairi, did you go visit Kukai and the others today?" asked Yaya, he was younger than her so the honorific wasn't needed.

"No. Utau-chan was the one who went to visit the Souma's place and I don't think anyone went to see the others." Said Kairi.

"Hm, and where's Amu-chii?" asked Yaya.

"Out with Ikuto-kun again." He spoke with a sigh.

"I'm jealous of them." Said Yaya with a pout.

"Oh? Why?" Kairi asked confused and curious.

"Well, Amu-chii is always with Ikuto and it's like they never leave each other's side. I wish someone would never leave my side too." Said Yaya.

"No one's going to leave you, you have so many friends." Said Kairi.

"Yeah, but once everyone separates, Yaya will be alone." She told him sadly.

"Don't worry, you won't be alone." Said Kairi and his cheeks started to turn red.

"Eh?" asked Yaya confused.

"I'll be here with you." Promised Kairi, he didn't even know why he was saying all this now, it just kept coming out.

Yaya suddenly blushed and she smiled "Kairi, you promised, so you better not break it."

"Of course." He replied with a smile.

"Tea's ready!" called Temari as she started to serve them tea.

"Were you able to avoid the crowds and the markets by the way?" asked Kairi as she drank some tea.

"Yes, it wasn't as crowded as usual…but still crowded." Said Temari "In fact, someone new was in town today."

"Someone new?" asked Yaya "Who was it?"

"Well, he was lost in the market and he asked for help to get back to the town's main road. We didn't know if he was a noble or not, but that's what it seemed like." Said Temari as she thought back to what happened.

"Hm, my sister never mentioned any new nobles that have stationed themselves in the kingdom recently." Stated Kairi and then he asked "Were you able to get his name?"

"Yes, but we just got his first name." said Temari "His name was Kenta."

"Kenta…" Kairi thought that the name sounded familiar, but for some reason he couldn't remember where and when he heard that name before.

"Do you know him Kairi?" asked Yaya.

"I'm not sure. His name sounds familiar, but I don't quite remember where I've heard it before." He told them.

"He did say he was new here." Stated Temari. "He was in quite a hurry when we got him out of the market area."

"Was someone waiting for him?" asked Kairi curiously.

"He said that he had a brother with him. We didn't get to see his brother though. He was in the markets alone and when we got out, he was in such a hurry to leave." Explained Temari.

"Interesting…I should go ask my sister about it when I get back to the palace." Said Kairi.

"Well, don't dwell on it too much though. It's not good to stress on something a lot." Said Temari with a smile. "Now, enjoy your tea and I'll go get us something to eat."

She went to the kitchen to fix them something to eat and Yaya and Kairi simply wanted to spend time with each other, so all was well. The question though, that played in Kairi's mind, was Kenta's identity. He knew that the name itself sounded familiar, but he could only wonder who this boy really is…

**Later that Night**

Utau came back to the palace late again, she's been coming home late because she spends most of her time with Kukai. The king and queen didn't mind it at all, seeing as Kukai was her fiancée, and as long as he escorted her back home, they didn't mind. There were still problems that the Tsukiyomi family had to deal with though, such as the disagreement of Utau's engagement with Kukai revolving with some kingdom leaders. Although they didn't pay much attention to it, Utau was starting to loathe the kingdom leaders who were so controlling over her and her family.

"Utau, something wrong?" asked Kukai as he looked at her.

"No, just thinking that's all." Said Utau.

"Well, here we are, back at the palace safe and sound." Said Kukai with a light smile "I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow then."

"You're leaving?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's getting late now, and I still have to get back." Said Kukai "Sorry."

"Why do you always refuse to stay here?" asked Utau "Amu stays here doesn't she?"

Kukai smiled, they've been over this issue for quite some time now, and she did have a point, they were engaged after all. "The palace isn't exactly my home…at least not yet." He told her.

" You don't like it here?" she asked a bit confused.

"No, I mean, I think it's great and all, but there are still some things we both need to take care of. My situation isn't as easy as Hinamori, unlike her, I'm no noble, and you know that." Said Kukai.

"Pathetic rulers…" muttered Utau. She knew one of the reasons that Kukai couldn't stay is because some kingdom leaders still continued to oppose to it, and Kukai just didn't want to start a riot.

"Hey now, don't say it like that. They'll come to see things our way, you just gotta give them time." Said Kukai.

"You shouldn't even be this patient with them." Said Utau "My life was supposed to be none of their business when my father promised me to you."

"Yeah, well not everyone can be as nice as his highness." Stated Kukai. "Just give it a bit more time okay?"

"Alright." Utau sighed "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"See you around Utau." Said Kukai with another one of his famous smiles. Before he left, he gave her a quick kiss, and whispered the words "I love you…" before leaving the palace for the night.

Utau sighed as she watched him leave, she really wished he could stay, but she could only hope for that for now. "Utau-chan, you're home." She turned around and saw Tadase there with a smile on his face. Hotori Tadase was a noble in the kingdom that came to stay with the royals along with his uncle Tsukasa.

"Tadase, good evening." Greeted Utau.

"I see Souma-kun has left then?" asked Tadase.

"Yes, he just did actually." Said Utau.

"Don't you want to come in? It's getting rather cold out." He offered.

"Thank you. Is Ikuto home yet?" she asked. Utau knew he was, but she just wanted to make sure.

"Yes, him and Amu-chan got home just a few hours ago." Said Tadase "Aruto-san called for him."

"Oh really?" Utau wondered why her father would call for Ikuto and not her.

"Yes, just some matters to discuss. We are having guests over after all, they arrive tomorrow morning here at the palace." Said Tadase.

"Oh yes, I've heard of them. Just the two sons right?" she asked and Tadase nodded in reply. "Alright. Thank you Tadase."

"You should go to your room and get some rest Utau-chan." Advised Tadase "Good night." He greeted before he started to walk to his own room.

Utau then resigned to her own room as well. She was tired, but it was all worth it. After all, she did spend another day with Kukai. She wondered what would lie ahead tomorrow, but she shrugged it off. For she knew that tomorrow would worry about itself…

**Somewhere in Town…**

The door opened to a small house in the town of Corinth, the person who opened it was a boy with jet-black hair and dark brown eyes. As he entered the house, another boy who seemed just a bit younger than him greeted "Welcome back Hiro-nii."

The older boy, Hiro, looked at his brother a bit startled "Hm, where were you earlier this morning? I went out looking for you…Kenta."

Kenta smiled "I got lost in the markets, some nice people gave me directions so I was able to find my way back."

"I see, well we better get some sleep, we need to get up early tomorrow." Hiro stated "After all, a carriage will be picking us up to drop us off in the palace…"

Who exactly are Hiro and Kenta? Are they the two princes? And if they are, what business do they have with the royals? It seems as though they're about to make an appearance in the lives of everyone else, and it's about to turn their lives around for one more time…

**Authors Note: Hey guys! I'm back. And this is the first chapter of the sequel. I hope you guys liked it. Please do Review and tell me what you think about it. Thanks everyone.**


	2. First EncounterFirst Impressions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara.**

**-Hey guys! Here's chapter two! Hiro and Kenta finally make their first major appearance here! **

**-Thanks so much for all the reviews you guys! Thank you! **

**-I won't tell you guys much about this chapter because I might give something away. But I do want you guys to vote on something. Please tell me if you want Tadase to be paired up with someone? **

**-Well, that's all I've got to say :D Please do read and Review. Suggestions and/or ideas are always more than welcome! XD I hope you enjoy!**

**First Encounter; First Impressions**

Amu opened her eyes as the sun shined down on her bed, through the window. She turned her body to the side, still not wanting to wake up. As she turned and slightly opened her eyes to the other direction, she came face to face with….

"Gah!" Amu yelled as she shot up from bed and scooted to a corner.

"Ouch Amu, that hurt." Ikuto got up and pointed to his ear.

"Y-you! What are you doing here you pervert!" she screamed while pointing a finger at him accusingly.

"Now, now Amu, I didn't do anything wrong. I've been trying to shake you awake for the past few minutes and you wouldn't wake up. I even tried opening the curtains so the light would hit you, but it didn't work." Said Ikuto with a shrug.

"So you decided to scare me like that?" she asked him, still not leaving her corner.

"Hm, no. It actually turned out a whole lot better than I expected." Said Ikuto with a grin as he walked closer to Amu.

"D-don't you dare c-come near me Ikuto!" she told him as she moved away little by little.

"Aw, don't be that way Amu, you know you can't avoid me that long." Said Ikuto, his smirk never leaving his face. Swiftly, he carried Amu into his arms, while she was yelling in protest to put her down.

"Ikuto! Put me down right now!" yelled Amu as she tried hitting him, but that never worked because her hits were nothing to Ikuto.

"I can't do that Amu, mother and father are looking for us, and I can't take the chances of you going to bed again." Said Ikuto with a light chuckle.

"Then if I promise not to sleep again, will you put me down?" asked Amu.

"Hm…nope." He replied plainly, there was no way he was doing that when he was having so much fun.

"IKUTO!" Amu yelled and all Ikuto did was laugh and enjoy the moment, this is the most fun he's had now and there was no way he was letting her go that easily.

In another room in the palace, Utau opened her eyes slightly and closed it again. "IKUTO!" she groaned as she heard Amu screaming from the other room. She knew Ikuto was going to do something like this. "And it's early in the morning too…don't two have anything better to do than to wake people up?" she muttered.

"Apparently not." When she heard someone answer, Utau's eyes immediately shot open. She was now sitting up and the first thing she saw when she got up was familiar emerald green eyes.

"K-Kukai?" she asked.

"Yeah, morning to you too." Kukai replied with a chuckle escaping his lips. He was currently sitting on her bed, by the side.

Her brain was still as groggy as her and when it finally sunk in, she asked "What in the world are you doing here this early? And…WHY ARE YOU IN MY ROOM?" she blushed in embarrassment as she realized that she wasn't even dressed in her daily outfit and it was embarrassing. _"What was he doing here anyway? Watching me sleep? That's crazy!"_ she thought to herself.

"Whoa, no need to make a big fuss out of things princess." Said Kukai with another laugh.

"Not make a big fuss out of things? How in the world do you expect me to just sit here and stay calm?" she asked him. "And stop calling me princess!"

"Yes, just calm down, and your face is all red right now, you know that?" he told her. Utau blinked and she soon realized that Kukai's face was just inches away from hers.

"Y-you don't have to keep saying that!" Utau told him as she turned away and then she heard him chuckle. "Stop laughing Kukai, it's not funny."

"Sorry, I just can't help it you know?" he told her apologetically.

"What in the world are you doing here anyway?" Utau asked "And it's so early, you're never here this early."

"I decided to come early today, Daichi didn't mind. And if you were wondering what I was doing, I found you asleep so I just waited for you to wake up." He explained to her "You happen to be cute when you're sleeping."

"!" Utau's face was even redder than before. "W-what's up with you? Were you just sitting there and watching me sleep?"

"Yeah, kinda." He replied with a shrug.

"Weren't you bored?" she found it odd that he could just sit there while watching her and do nothing.

"Nah, it's interesting watching you. Plus, did you know you talk in your sleep?" he asked her with a grin.

"W-what?" Utau asked shocked. "W-Wh-what did I say?"

"Oh nothing much, but you were saying my name a lot." Kukai's grin got bigger and Utau was currently speechless.

It took her a while, but still, she seriously didn't know what to say to him at the moment. Kukai smiled and spoke "Hey, no worries, I happen to like it when you say my name a lot." He told her. "And it's nice to know that you think of me. And if it makes you feel any better, I think of you all the time too princess." He said with the usual happy smile on his face.

Utau was still blushing, but she was able to give him a smile. Maybe she should get pissed because Amu woke her up because of her yelling, or maybe because Ikuto did something to make Amu yell, but after seeing Kukai there…maybe her morning wasn't so bad after all…

**In the Hinamori Mansion **

Rima was currently walking around the garden while Miki was doing her daily task. All of them were already up and running during this hour and that was one thing they didn't grow out of. Soon, Nagihiko showed up with tea and breakfast made by Su. He placed it in the table in the gardens and called the others.

"Looks like everyone's up." Stated Miki.

"*yawn* I'm still sleepy though." Said Ran, she looked groggy, but it didn't look like she minded.

"That's just because you got home late after your date with Daichi last night." Said Miki and Rima and some others just giggled.

Ran blushed and spoke "S-shut it Miki."

The others laughed at his reaction and then later, Nagihiko spoke "Come on, let's go eat. We wouldn't want Su's cooking to go to waste."

"Someone go get Ami." Said Ran.

"I'll do it." Volunteered Dia as she walked back inside to go get Ami.

Once Dia came back, it wasn't just her and Ami, but both Rhythm and Temari were with her too. Nagihiko approached his sister and greeted her, as the others greeted their two guests as well. Temari and Rhythm were then invited to have breakfast with them.

"Thank you for all of this." Said Temari with a smile "It's been long since I tasted Su's cooking."

"But it's still as delicious as always." Stated Rhythm.

"Thank you for the compliment~desu." Said Su with a smile.

"By the way, not to be rude or anything, but…what brings you here Onee-chan?" asked Nagihiko as he looked at Temari and Rhythm.

"Well, we just wanted to pay you all a visit and see if you were doing alright, other than that though…Rhythm has some news." Said Temari.

"News?" asked Ran curiously.

"Question…is this good news? Or bad news?" asked Rima. She surely didn't want the bad news. I mean, who did?

Rhythm shrugged "I don't really think that it's bad news, but still…I also think that it would depend on how you would take the news." Said Rhythm.

"Okay…so what is it?" asked Miki.

"A new royal family will be staying in the palace." Said Rhythm. "The Terashima family…or so I think that's who they were…"

"Another one?" asked Dia shocked.

"After the incident with the Misuzawa's I never would have thought they'd let anyone stay there again…" said Nagihiko with a sigh.

"Well, to tell you the truth, only the family's two sons are staying over, not the whole family." Said Rhythm.

"And to think we've met one of them…" said Temari.

"Hold on…two sons? That's even more trouble than we thought." Said Rima. "I mean, just think about the possible bad outcomes of this!"

"The fact alone that we're talking about two guys living there…for who knows how long is bad." Said Ran as she shook her head.

"Just until the wedding is over…I think." Replied Rhythm.

"That's…even worse…" said Nagihiko as he sweat dropped.

"Wait…didn't you say you met them~desu?" asked Su. She remembered what Temari had said a while back.

"Yeah, one of them happened to get lost in the markets yesterday. We met him. His name was Kenta Terashima and I think his brother's name is Hiro Terashima." Said Rhythm.

"But we only met Kenta, the rest of our information was based on rumors and announcements throughout the town." Said Temari.

"Great…just great…" mumbled Rima.

"Calm down everyone…who knows? They might be different." Said Temari "Kenta seemed like a very nice boy."

"So…does Souma-kun know about this?" Nagihiko asked. For some reason, he knew that Kukai would want to know.

"Yes, I stopped by his place before we came here. We told him that they would be coming to the palace today and he just dashed out of the house." Said Rhythm with a laugh as he remembered Kukai's reaction.

"That explains it." Said Miki with a smile. "I mean, it is Kukai after all."

"Well, we can't judge them yet, but let's just play it safe okay?" said Nagihiko "After everything that's happened to us, we all learned one thing…"

"Of course. And that's to expect the unexpected…" said Dia.

"Exactly. So, let's just be as careful as we can be as of the moment." Said Nagihiko "And hopefully, things turn out to be in our favor…"

"How I wish it was that easy…" stated Rima.

The others weren't sure of what to think of the current matter, but they were sure that they still had to be on their guard. Not that they didn't trust the other royals, but after what's happened, they didn't want to be too sure. The only hoped that this time, things would run in their favor, but who was to say? And there was nothing else they could do now, but wait…and that seemed to be the hardest thing to do right now…

**Back In The Palace **

A carriage soon arrived at the palace. Hiro and Kenta looked at the palace, and they were amazed. They've never really been to the Tsukiyomi's Palace before, even though they've taken trips all over the kingdom. Musashi was the person who picked them up and they had to admit, they were more than impressed.

"Welcome to the palace." Said Musashi with a bow as they got down the carriage.

"Thank you." Said Hiro.

"Thank you for the ride." Said Kenta with a smile.

"It was my pleasure highnesses." Said Musashi.

As Hiro and Kenta were looking around, another voice greeted them "Welcome Terashima-san." They turned and saw Tadase and Kairi heading their way.

"Hello…and you are?" asked Hiro curiously.

"My name is Hotori Tadase." Introduced Tadase "And I'm a good friend of the Tsukiyomi family."

"Oh, so you're a Hotori? Then you must be related to Tsukasa right?" asked Kenta.

"Yes, Tsukasa happens to be my uncle." Said Tadase "You know him?" he asked.

"Not really, but we've heard a lot of things about the Hotori family, especially about Tsukasa." Explained Kenta "Nice to meet you." Then he looked over at Kairi.

"I am Sanjo Kairi. My sister works here in the palace and so do I. We make arrangements here, and you can also call us informants of the palace if you'd like." Said Kairi.

"Hm, so an informant of the palace? At such a young age?" asked Hiro. He was wondering what the king a queen were thinking making someone as young as Kairi as their informant.

"Yes, is there a problem Terashima-san?" asked Tadase.

"No, none at all." Said Hiro.

"Oh come on Hiro, you don't have to be so serious about everything." Said Kenta eyeing his brother. He faced Kairi and Tadase and spoke "My name is Kenta by the way, and this guy right here is my older brother Hiro."

"Kenta?" muttered Kairi as his eyes grew wide. It dawned to him that this was the boy that Temari was talking about when he was with Yaya yesterday.

"Sanjo-san? Something wrong?" asked Tadase as he noticed that Kairi was in deep thought.

"No, it's nothing at all." Said Kairi as he shook his head.

"Oh…I see…" Tadase then looked at the two princes and spoke "We can take you to the king and queen now if you'd like."

"That would be nice, thank you." Replied Hiro.

"We'd appreciate that." Agreed Kenta.

"I'll be taking my leave now…I bid you farewell for now highnesses." Said Musashi. He bowed at them and at Tadase and Kairi as well.

"Thank you Musashi." Said Tadase with a smile.

"It was my pleasure." He replied. Soon, Musashi took his leave and went elsewhere to do his other duties in the palace.

"Now, shall we get going?" asked Kairi.

"Of course." Replied Kenta and Hiro just nodded as they followed Kairi and Tadase.

They led Hiro and Kenta to the palace's throne room to meet with the king and queen. As they made their way there, they heard voices near them…and they knew someone was coming closer because the voices were getting louder.

"Why are we heading there again?" As the people got closer, Tadase and Kairi noticed that it was Kukai and Utau. And it was Kukai who asked.

"I told you, Okaa-san and Otou-san wants us to meet the Terashima family." Said Utau with a laugh. "You keep on asking."

"I'm curious, I mean I don't…" before Kukai was able to finish, he noticed Tadase and Kairi with two guys that were unfamiliar to him.

"Souma-kun! Utau-chan!" said Tadase.

"Hey Tadase!" greeted Kukai with a smile as he approached Tadase and ruffled his hair. Then he turned to Kairi and greeted him too "Nice to see you too."

"Pleasure to see you as well Souma-san. You too Utau-chan." Said Kairi with a small smile.

"Morning to both of you." Said Utau. She then noticed Kenta and Hiro and asked "And who might you be?"

"Hiro Terashima." Stated Hiro "And you must be Utau-hime, am I right?"

As Hiro introduced himself, Kukai suddenly felt uneasy. There was something about Hiro that didn't feel right. Kukai didn't know what it was, but it was as if something was odd. He felt it in him that Hiro wasn't a terrible person, but something about Hiro was giving off a bad vibe.

"Yes, that's right." Said Utau and she looked at Kenta "And this must be your younger brother."

Kenta blinked a few times and didn't answer. All he did was stare at Utau, the moment he saw her, something hit him. When he realized that Utau was talking to him he smiled "I'm Kenta Terashima by the way. A true pleasure to meet you." Kenta then took Utau's hand and kissed it gently.

Utau gasped slightly because of shock, Tadase stared wide-eyed. Hiro didn't seem to mind what his brother was doing, and Kairi sighed and slightly shook his head. Kukai was beyond the state of shock. He knew Utau's probably experienced this as some kind of gesture before, but for some reason, he could just stay calm after seeing that.

Kukai couldn't help that one of his hands balled into a fist, and his knuckles were turning slightly white, but he was preventing anything rude or unnecessary from coming out of his mouth.

Utau on the other hand, after recovering from the shock of what just happened, slightly pulled her hand away. "Oh…um…a pleasure…" she replied while trying her best to smile. Her other free hand reached for Kukai's before she spoke again…

"This is my _fiancée_…Souma Kukai." Said Utau.

Kenta's eyes widened and his expression saddened "Oh, my apologies…"

"No worries." Replied Kukai with a smile, and his hands were starting to relax. But a part of him still couldn't let it go.

There was an awkward silence between everyone when suddenly, a voice was heard. "Morning everyone!" When they turned around, they saw Tara, a family friend of the royals, and the only child of the Misuzawa family that wasn't sent to exile.

"Tara-chan, good morning." Said Utau, as she tried to brighten up a bit.

"Morning. Oh…um…" As Tara saw Hiro and Kenta, she didn't know what to say.

"Um Tara-chan…can we ask you a favor?" asked Tadase.

"Yes, of course." Replied Tara with a smile.

"Can you please escort Hiro-san and his brother to see the king and queen?" Tadase asked. "They're the princes who've come to visit."

"Alright, not a problem at all." Said Tara. She looked over at the princes and spoke again "If you may please follow me, right this way."

Hiro and Kenta started to follow Tara to the throne room. No one else said another word after Tadase bid them farewell, for now. While they were walking away, Kenta shot a small glance over at Utau and this didn't go unnoticed. As they walked away, the others were soon left on their own, standing in the halls of the palace.

"So…who wants to go to the garden and have some tea?" asked Tadase as he tried his best to lighten the mood.

"Okay." Replied Kukai.

"That would be nice." Said Utau.

"Shall we?" offered Kairi.

Tadase sighed and nodded. And as they walked to the garden, he only hoped that they could loosen this tight and heavy atmosphere…

Once the four of them arrived at the garden, Ikuto and Amu were already there with Tadase's uncle, Tsukasa. When they saw the others, they sat down on the garden table and Tadase asked for someone to serve them tea. As they were waiting, Tsukasa immediately noticed the tension between them and he asked. "What seems to be the matter?"

"Utau? Kukai? Are you guys alright?" asked Amu rather worriedly.

"Yeah, no need to worry about it Amu." Said Utau with a smile.

"…" Kukai on the other hand, had his head in the clouds…

"Oi Souma!" called Ikuto.

"Huh?" asked Kukai as he snapped back to reality.

"What's wrong with you today?" asked Ikuto questioningly. "Did you and Utau have some kind of fight?"

"What? No, of course not." Replied Kukai immediately.

"Then what seems to be the problem Souma-kun?" asked Tsukasa.

"It's nothing big really…" replied Kukai.

"Well, it looks like it is. You and Utau aren't even talking." Said Ikuto knowingly.

"We met the princes." Said Kukai "We bumped into them not too long ago."

"Ah, you mean the sons of the Terashima family?" asked Tsukasa and Kukai simply nodded "Yes, I heard that they've arrived."

"Is something wrong with them Kukai?" asked Amu.

"No…it's nothing." Said Kukai.

Because of his sudden change of attitude, Utau was thinking of why he was acting this way. Suddenly, she remembered something yesterday and it hit her…

"_Whoa, wait up…sons?" asked Kukai. "I thought they said they had a son, not sons." _

_Utau shrugged "I don't know much of the details too, but mother said that they had sons, meaning there's more than one."_

"_And how many exactly are there?" asked Kukai. _

"_Well, I'm not sure. Two I think, but I don't know really." Replied Utau and then she asked "Why exactly do you ask?" _

"_Hn, it's nothing." Replied Kukai with a sigh. _

And she also remembered that Kukai's hands were tense when she had them not too long ago after the incident with Kenta…

Her eyes widened and she looked over at Kukai, it was like all the joy had vanished, being replaced by this. "Kukai…?" she started.

Kukai looked at her and asked "Yeah?"

"You're…are you…or…were you jealous of Kenta earlier?" she asked him. Utau knew that Kukai didn't like other guys acting that way towards her…that's why he asked how many were coming yesterday…

"W-what?" asked Kukai a bit shocked.

"Did you not like what he did?" she continued, she knew he didn't.

"Well…it's not really…" before Kukai could finish, Utau playfully hit him and then gave him a hug.

"How foolish." Utau started "For you to even think that I'd be taken away by just that. But…I guess you had every reason to feel the way you did…" she knew that if she were in his shoes, she wouldn't like to see something like that either. She also figured that the reason he came to the palace early was because he knew of the prince's arrival.

"…" Kukai stayed silent and just hugged her back. He later chuckled slightly and replied "I guess…it was something like that…but not entirely…"

Utau pulled away from the hug, but they were still holding hands. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, of course I didn't like seeing what he did, but that's not the only reason I felt…uneasy." Said Kukai. "Although…I do admit that I'm not comfortable seeing other guys that close to you."

"Then what might be the reason?" asked Tsukasa. He smiled slightly and added "I've never seen jealousy take over you before. This is a first."

"Please don't remind me." Groaned Kukai "I just couldn't help it."

"I was just kidding." Said Tsukasa with a smile "Now, has the prince's arrival been bothering you?"

"No, not at first, but now…it's not just about Kenta, but more about Hiro…there's just something about him…" said Kukai. "By the way Tadase…how old are those guys?" he asked.

"Well…Kenta is a year older than you Souma-kun, so Utau-chan's age. While Hiro is a year younger than Ikuto-nii." Said Tadase.

"Well that explains it." Said Utau with a sigh. "Hiro seems to be oddly quiet around people though."

"Yes, that's his personality. And it has been for years." Said Kairi "That's what the information we've gathered so far says."

"What about him did you find odd?" asked Amu curious. "And to think you'd be jealous Kukai…" she teased. She's never seen him jealous before.

"Can we stop it with me and my jealousy problem?" asked Kukai and the others ended up laughing it off.

"Okay, okay. So? What's up with the Terashima family that seems to be bugging you?" asked Amu.

"Well, I can't explain it really. It was just…I felt something was weird about him, something strange, but it's not something I can easily put into words." Said Kukai "You could call it a hunch about the guy instead."

"Well, there wasn't much to say about the Terashima family, we've never had them stay over at the palace before. Have we?" asked Utau as she looked at Ikuto.

"No. It's even safe to say that this is the first time I'll be seeing their faces." Said Ikuto.

"Maybe I'm just overreacting." Stated Kukai and then he smiled "Just forget I said it."

"Or maybe Souma-kun is right." Started Tsukasa.

"But we can't just judge them." Said Kairi.

"I know that, but it would also be safe to keep our guard up, wouldn't you agree?" asked Tsukasa. "The fact that these people are complete strangers to most of us passes a positive and negative side."

"The positive being…?" asked Ikuto.

"Positive side being the fact that they know little about all of you as well, and they might be nice people too." Said Tsukasa.

"And the negative is that since we know nothing about them, we have no idea what negative attitude they posses or what they have hidden under their sleeves." Said Kukai.

"That's exactly right." Said Tsukasa.

"So, we have to be careful." Said Tadase.

"And we can't trust them completely yet. After all, trust is something you earn." Said Utau with a smile.

"And there you have it, problem solved." Said Tsukasa.

"I guess I was just being a bit paranoid?" said Kukai, but he was certain he felt something earlier about Hiro, but he didn't push it further.

"Maybe, maybe not. We'll see." Said Ikuto.

"Now, our tea will be getting cold if we don't drink it. Shall we?" offered Tsukasa.

As they drank their tea, they talked about concerns in the kingdom and many others that was brought up in the conversation. Kukai shrugged off whatever he felt toward Hiro and slightly toward Kenta, because of the incident with Utau. Though, he continued to believe that these people did mean well. After all, none of them wanted a tragic repeat performance.

**Later that Evening **

That night, Utau was once again escorted back home by Kukai. She went to town again today and even paid a quick visit to the Hinamori Mansion. As she got home, she bit Kukai goodbye and started to walk back towards her room. Utau was getting closer to her room when she suddenly saw Kairi walk down the halls.

"Kairi, what are you still doing up at this hour? Shouldn't you be in your room by now?" she asked confused.

"Good evening Utau-chan. I just needed to give some papers to my sister, I was actually heading to my room right now." Said Kairi.

"Oh I see…" said Utau and then she asked "Is Amu in her room at the moment?"

"I think so. Either that or she's in Ikuto-san's room listening to him play the violin?" suggested Kairi.

"That is a possibility, thank you Kairi." Said Utau. "Oh and has Yoru gotten home yet?"

"Yes, he has. I heard that he had to take Miki back to the mansion before he came back here. They went somewhere together." Explained Kari.

Utau smiled. "Alright. Thank you very much for that Kairi. I just wanted to know that everyone got home safe."

"Ah, and Utau-chan?" started Kairi.

"Yes?" asked Utau.

"Kenta was looking for you earlier. I told him you were with Kukai-san and went to town." Said Kairi.

Utau sighed. Something bothered her about Kenta, ever since the incident. And now he was looking for her? "Okay. Thanks for the information."

"I'm not saying he's up to something, but his face fell when he found out you were engaged. So, just to make sure, please be careful. But I don't think he's a terrible kind of person. He's very kind actually. It's just that…" Before Kairi could finish, Utau smiled and cut in.

"I know Kairi. He doesn't seem like a terrible person to me either, but…the way he kept looking at me…I don't know…don't worry though, I can take care of myself." Said Utau. "Thank you Kairi, and have a good night."

"Good night Utau-chan." Replied Kairi with a slight bow before residing to his own room.

Utau continued to walk the halls of the palace, but instead of heading to her own room, she decided to go to Amu's room instead. When she got there, she knocked on the door a few times and then called "Amu? Amu, it's Utau, can I come in?"

She knocked on the door again, but there was still no answer. She slightly opened the door, and she saw that the room was empty. " I guess she isn't here…" mumbled Utau "Oh well, she's probably with Ikuto, I'll talk to her tomorrow." And then, Utau finally decided to retire for the night and get some well earned rest.

Meanwhile, unknown to Utau, Amu wasn't with Ikuto. She decided to take a stroll around the palace gardens for a while before residing to her room. She smiled as she looked at the beautiful night sky and relaxed. Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching, and for some reason, she knew that it wasn't Ikuto. He would have grabbed her by now and she wouldn't hear him coming.

"Ikuto?" she knew it wasn't him, but she still hoped that it was. She turned around and came face to face with someone else "W-who are you?" asked Amu.

"How rude of my not to introduce myself. My name is Hiro, Hiro Terashima." Said Hiro with a bright smile on his face.

"Hiro?" asked Amu, and then she remembered Utau and Kukai mention his name earlier when they were having tea. "Oh, you're the prince that will be staying here right?"

"Yes, my little brother, Kenta, is here with me." Said Hiro and then he asked "May I know your name beautiful miss?"

Amu slightly turned red that he called her beautiful, but it wasn't the same when Ikuto made her blush, this was different. "Oh…um…it's Amu. Amu Hinamori." She told him.

Hiro took a few steps closer to her and smiled "Amu…that's a perfect name, it fits you well."

Amu just smiled and a thought passed her mind. _"Utau and Kukai stated that Hiro didn't say much, and Kairi even said that being quiet was a part of his personality…but the way he's talking to me doesn't show that."_

"Is something the matter?" asked Hiro worriedly as he looked at her.

"No nothing's wrong." Replied Amu with a smile.

"Oh, then may I suggest that the beautiful miss head to her room and get some rest?" said Hiro with a smile "Staying up so late won't be good for you."

"Oh…then you should get some rest too Hiro-san." Said Amu.

"Please, just call me Hiro." He told her. "Well, I'll be heading off now, I'll see you tomorrow then, beautiful miss." Before he left, he took her hand and kissed it gently, just as Kenta did with Utau. As Hiro walked away, he smiled. For the first time in a long time, he's felt this way. As he walked away, he stole a glance at Amu and spoke silently to himself "At last, I've finally found her…"

Amu on the other hand, watched Hiro walk away from the garden and completely disappear. Her face was a bit red because of what just happened, but it still wasn't the same. She sighed and wondered which side of Hiro was real. The quiet type that Kukai and Utau saw? Or the guy she saw just now? She didn't really know. But for now, she thought three things about Hiro. One, something was definitely odd with him, she could somehow feel it too. Two, he sure knows how to sweep a girl off her feet by sweet talking her. And three, either he was really sweet or he was just using cheesy pick-up lines and is a total flirt…

**Authors Note: There you have it. The second chapter! XD Thanks for all the reviews, ideas and suggestions. Please Review and tell me what you think of this chapter : ). Thanks a lot you guys! :D **


	3. Avoiding,Hiding,Thinking&Meeting

**Disclaimer: Shugo Chara belongs to Peach Pit**

**-Hey guys! I know I'm late and I'm so sorry : ( I had exams for three consecutive weeks and was so tired. **

**-Anyway, here's my update and I hope you guys like it. Please Review and tell me what you think of it. **

**-Thanks for the reviews in the previous chapter : ) Ideas are once again welcome :D**

**- I hope you guys enjoy this chapter XD On with the chapter!**

**Avoiding, Hiding, Thinking & Meeting**

Amu woke up bright and early in the morning the following day. The events of last night still fresh inside her head. "Hiro…who is he really?" she asked herself as she got up from bed and looked out the window. _"The sun sure is shining brighter than usual this morning." _Amu thought to herself with a smile.

She quickly got out of bed get changed for the day. As soon as she was done preparing herself, she got out of her room and started to make rounds around the palace. Amu enjoyed the fresh air outside so she didn't mind taking long walks. Soon, as she continued to walk, she noticed that the halls of the palace were awfully quiet.

"I wonder where everyone else is?" she asked herself silently.

A few more walks and she sighed, she must have woken up earlier than usual today too. As she was walking though, somewhat still enjoying the peace, she heard a familiar voice…correction, there were_ two _familiar voices making their way toward her direction.

"You do seem happier today Hiro." It was Kenta and Amu only wished they wouldn't see her.

"Well, something happened last night, and it made me…well as you said, happier." Stated Hiro.

Amu could imagine Hiro's face now, and she didn't even need to take a peak and look at him. Something about the way he said those words sent chills down her spine. _"I was wrong about him being so sweet…he sounds so different now…and so mysterious, as if he was hiding something…" _She sure as heck didn't want him to see her. "I have to get out of here…now!" she muttered. As she slowly tried to walk toward the other direction…

"Hm? Why'd you stop?" she heard Kenta ask.

"I thought I heard some footsteps." Said Hiro "I someone there?" he called.

"Are you sure? It's still kind of early you know. You could just be imagining things." Said Kenta.

"No, I'm quite sure that I heard right Kenta. There's definitely someone here." Said Hiro confidently. He began to walk a little faster, hoping to catch a glimpse of who was there.

Amu's eyes widened as she heard the footsteps get faster and louder. _"Forget about walking slowly…!" _she thought before immediately running towards the other direction.

Hoping that soon enough, Hiro and Kenta would stop following her, she continued to run without any other cares in the world, but to not make contact with Hiro. After the events of last night, which left her both confused and curious about his attitude, she didn't want to have another encounter like that any time soon.

"_By the sound of his voice…it's like his personality changed again! There's too many sides of him that's making him too difficult to read. Who is he…really?"_ Amu wondered.

She continued to run, and she wasn't even looking at where she was going anymore. "Please, do not let him follow me right now…OW!" she suddenly bumped into someone while she was running. "I am so sorry." She apologized.

She felt someone hold her by the shoulders and heard someone spoke "What's this? Up so early in the morning?" Her eyes widened and she turned to face the person she bumped into.

"Ikuto!" exclaimed Amu shocked.

"Hey there. Morning to you too." Said Ikuto with a light chuckle escaping from his lips as he watched Amu stare at him in shock and placed a light kiss on her cheek.

"W-what are you doing here?" asked Amu, still in a slight state of shock and her face still red.

"I live here." He replied plainly.

She playfully glared at him before speaking again. "I know that genius. I mean, what are you doing, wide awake, walking around here and so early in the morning too." She told him.

Ikuto chuckled again "I should be the one asking you that. You're not a morning person, anyone could tell."

"T-That's beside the point!" said Amu defensively.

"So? What are _you_ doing here so early in the morning?" asked Ikuto confused and curious at the same time.

"What? Am I not allowed to wake up early every once and a while?" asked Amu folding her arms.

"Not that, but it's just that I usually have to go to your room almost every morning and force you awake." Said Ikuto with a shrug. "And just like I said, you never were the morning person."

"So? I happened to wake up early today, thank you very much." Said Amu.

"I see. Good for you then. And I have to thank you for saving me the trouble of forcing you awake this morning. Although I do enjoy such events…oh well, I can always do it again tomorrow." Said Ikuto with a small smile "And to think I was just on my way to your room too."

"Well, here I am, so there should be no problems." She stated. She unconsciously turned around to check if Hiro was following and luckily, she didn't see anyone or hear anyone at all approaching.

"Amu? What are you looking at?" asked Ikuto confused.

"Huh?" she asked him, as she spaced out, unaware of what he meant.

"I mean, didn't you notice that you keep turning your head to look behind you?" Ikuto asked her as he gave her another questioning look.

"Um…sorry?" she told him with a nervous smile. "I just thought I heard someone that's all."

"Who?" asked Ikuto.

"I'm not sure, Utau maybe?" she suggested.

"You've been here long enough to know that Utau's room is in the opposite direction." Stated Ikuto with s sigh. Now he was certain she was keeping something from him.

"…" Amu was silent for a while while she didn't know what to say to him, she was also thinking of a good way to convince Ikuto it was nothing.

"Amu, what are you hiding from me?" he asked her seriously.

"Hiding? Who's hiding anything?" she asked. _"I'm being defensive!" _she thought to herself.

"You are, and you know it." Said Ikuto with a sigh before he continued "And it's either you tell me what it is, or you're making me force it out of you."

"It's nothing…really…I think I'm just being paranoid…" stated Amu with a sigh.

"Paranoid?" he asked with one eyebrow raised questioningly at her "About what?"

Amu sighed again, and she knew that there was no possible way to make him give up on asking…so she finally decided to tell him. "It's just that…I saw Hiro and Kenta when I was walking around…and I didn't want them to see me, so I ran."

"Why would you run from them? Did they do anything?" he asked and he was sure that if he knew he had hurt her in any way, someone was getting hurt tonight…

"No, not really….I just feel kind of awkward around them…especially Hiro…" stated Amu.

"Why?" Ikuto asked again. Amu was leaving so many holes in her explanation and he had to keep on asking if she wasn't going to give him a straight answer.

Amu started walking again and Ikuto followed her as the two of them walked around together and continued to talk. "You're not going to stop asking aren't you?" she asked Ikuto.

"No, not unless you give up and give me a clear explanation." Said Ikuto.

"Why don't you just let it go?" she asked.

"Simple, remember the last time I let something bothering you go? It lead to you running away and I had to go looking for you." Stated Ikuto in a matter-of-factly way.

"That was different!" stated Amu as she remembered what had happened and her insecurities had led her to beg Rhythm to help her run away.

"Still…I'm not taking the chance of that happening again." He told her seriously. "Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong? Or are you going to let me keep guessing?" he asked.

"I just don't want you to worry." Said Amu, this was true, but she also hoped that Ikuto would feel bad and just drop the topic.

Ikuto smiled "And that's why I'm asking. I'm worried now you know, or else I wouldn't even bother. He stopped and grinned slightly before he continued "And besides….that's not going to get us off topic so don't even think about it."

"Alright fine." She gave up "Hiro saw me last night when I went to the gardens and he was just acting…weird."

Ikuto blinked a few times before asking "He met up with you last night?"

"More like bumped into me. I didn't know if he was following me, stalking me or just saw me there." Said Amu as she shook her head.

"He didn't do anything to you did he?" asked Ikuto seriously. He didn't like the idea of anyone stalking Amu.

Amu shook her head "No…unless you can being sweet a crime, then no."

"Sweet?" asked Ikuto a vein popping on his head. _"And what's that supposed to mean?"_ he thought to himself.

"I don't know. He was, and that's what I found odd. And he wasn't quiet like what Utau and Kukai had mentioned either. He was more like the exact opposite." Said Amu "Something made me think he was some kind of flirt…or something like that…"

"…" Ikuto didn't know what to say, but he wanted to keep a better eye on Hiro now…and he was serious.

"And there was something about him…something that made Kukai's statement about him being…weird…kind of true." Said Amu "Something's just not right."

"Well…" started Ikuto with a sigh "He could be somewhat like you."

"Me? How in the world is he like me?" asked Amu.

"Hiro could be the kind of person who hides himself behind some sort of mask. Just like you did back then. Or don't you remember that?" he told her.

"I do…then that must mean that he could have problems too right?" asked Amu.

"Maybe, but like what Kukai and Tsukasa said, we can't trust them completely yet." Said Ikuto "Besides…" he started.

"?" Amu looked at him, confused at what he would want to say.

"I wouldn't want Hiro taking you away from me." He told her with a smirk on his face again as he saw her face turn different shades of red.

"Y-you're c-crazy Ikuto!" Amu told him as she walked off, a bit faster this time.

Ikuto chuckled as he kept on following herm often hearing her mumble a few things to herself. He found her very amusing, and he knew that if Hiro was in any way trying something to keep them apart, there was definitely no way he was going to let that happen.

**Meanwhile…**

In the town on Corinth, it was another busy day for everyone. People were working as hard as they could, it was another heavy day. The Souma's were definitely no exception. Their restaurant was full again and Kukai had to work with Daichi today or his brother would probably die with the amount of customers flooding in. Utau didn't stop him from working today, in which he was very grateful for. He told her he'd eventually make it up to her and she just smiled and let him go, saying that she'd follow later on.

"Hey Kukai, Utau-nee's coming today right?" asked Dahichi.

Kuaki laughed before answering "You're seriously calling her that? And I thought you were just fooling around."

"I'm starting to get used to it…so yeah…" said Daichi with a laugh as well.

"But…yeah, she's coming." Said Kukai with a smile "She said she was, but I think she's still too tired to get up."

"She told you that?" asked Daichi.

"Nah, just a guess. She told me last night that she was coming over, but since she's not here, I'm guessing she's still in bed." Said Kukai.

"True." Agreed Daichi "It's a good thing she let you work though."

"She said it was no problem, as long as I don't overdo it again. That was part of the agreement." Said Kukai. "What about you? Did you reschedule with Ran?"

"What?" asked Daichi as his face slightly turned red.

"I know you were supposed to go somewhere with her today. Don't underestimate me." Said Kukai with a grin "I happen to have very good sources."

"Like who? Miki, Su and Dia?" asked Daichi as he rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Maybe. So, did you?" asked Kukai again.

"Yeah, she said it was fine, and she kind of figured that the restaurant would be packed today, so she didn't seem to mind much." Said Daichi with a smile.

"Have you told her yet?" asked Kukai.

"Told her what?" asked Daichi.

"How you feel? And not the 'I like you' kind of thing." Said Kukai with a grin. He knew that Daichi and Ran have been together for a while now, but he also knew that he hast confessed…that way.

"No, not yet." Daichi admitted with a sigh.

"What's stopping you?" asked Kukai with a light laugh.

"A lot of things." Said Daichi "And I think you know that. You're done with this stage remember? You're getting married?"

"I know, doesn't stop me from bugging you about it the same way that you bugged me when I had that problem." Said Kukai with a grin.

"Yeah I get it, revenge stinks." Said Daichi and Kukai just laughed.

"And what seems to be so funny?" They turned to see Rima and Nagihiko there with big smiles on their faces. They were walking hand in hand and as Kukai saw this, his face broke into one of his big grins.

"Hey you two." Said Kukai "What are you guys doing here?"

"Just visiting. Unless we aren't wanted, then we can leave." Said Nagihiko with a slight laugh.

"Please, do stay." Said Kukai "Is it still crowded out there?" he asked. They were inside the kitchen for the mean time, so he couldn't tell.

"Not as much. People are finishing up. It's going to clear out a bit soon from the looks of it." Said Rima.

"Good, because I seriously need some sort of break." Said Daichi.

It turned out that Rima was right. It wasn't too long before people started to leave and only a few were left, giving the two brothers a break that they both well deserved. Of course, time had been moving and it was almost the end of lunch when the people started leaving.

"Looks like today was worse than most days." Said Nagihiko as he looked around the almost empty restaurant.

"No kidding. It's like I was already working two whole shifts." Said Kukai.

"Well, that's how business goes, I guess." Said Rima.

Nagihiko and Rima helped the two brothers clean up the tables and fix the chairs before the four of them decided to sit on one table and talk.

"So, what's been going on in the mansion? Anything new?" asked Kukai.

"Nah, not really." Said Nagihiko "Yoru has been coming there a lot though, to see Miki I suppose."

"And that Sanjo kid too. But he only comes over when Yaya does. Kind of odd right?" said Rima.

"Really? So that's why Yaya hasn't been complaining about being lonely lately. It's a good thing someone's keeping her company. I was worried about her too." Said Kukai.

"She's just fine, let me tell you that much." Said Rima with a small smile.

"How about you? I heard the wedding preparations are underway again. Is everything working out smoothly?" asked Nagihiko.

"Yeah, everything's fine actually. There aren't really complications…at least not yet…" muttered Kukai.

"Not yet?" asked Rima confused "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, something just tells me that…not everything's going to go as planned." Said Kukai "Not be the negative one around, but I can't help but have some kind of hunch."

"Why is that?" asked Nagihiko.

"Well, we met the princes that are staying at the palace…and I don't know, but something just doesn't feel…completely right about them." Said Kukai.

"Care to share?" asked Daichi.

"Sure, why not?" Kukai said with a shrug as he started to tell him his story.

He told them everything. From how he first met them, to what had happened, his talk with Tsukasa and what he thought about the whole situation and scenario. The three of them listened quietly and waited for Kukai to finish his tale before speaking.

"Don't you think you're being a bit too judgmental here? I mean, I get it that you can't trust them completely yet, but judging them so suddenly isn't right either." Said Nagihiko.

"I know that. That's why I didn't do or say anything. I don't completely think that those two are bad news, but my gut tells me one of them is." Said Kukai.

"Kenta?" asked Rima.

"As much as I want that to be true…no. I feel worse about his brother." Said Kukai. Sure he was kind of pissed about what happened with Kenta and what he did with Utau, but as much as hated to admit it, he had a better feeling about Kenta than he did with Hiro.

"Then that's just…odd." Said Daichi.

"I know, and I know I don't know them much, something inside me just feels weird. It's something I can't explain right now. And let's just hope that I'm wrong." Said Kukai with a sigh.

"Well…I guess if you really feel that way, then just watch yourselves." Said Nagihiko "But don't try to be to obvious about it, and try to get to know them better. You never know, right?"

"Yeah, I guess that's the best answer for this." Agreed Kukai.

"Oh yeah, where's Utau by the way?" asked Rima.

"I think she's still at the palace." Said Kukai "Although…she should be here anytime soon."

"Let's just wait for her to get here. I'm sure she's just fine." Said Nagihiko.

So, they all agreed to wait for Utau to arrive. Kukai only hoped that she was safe, it was unlike her to break her word, and he knew she'd come. He smiled and thought _"She's not some weak damsel in distress, she'll be alright…I know she will." _

**With Utau…**

Utau hurriedly walked around the palace. She was late, at least, she thought she was. She usually got up earlier than usual whenever she wanted to go to town and this was the first time she's left this late. Ever since she's been given her freedom, she always went there early. And just when she found Musashi and thought she could make a clean get-away, she found herself in front of two unexpected people…Hiro and Kenta.

"_Great…just peachy…"_ she thought to herself with a sigh.

"Good morning princess." Greeted Hiro and Kenta with a smile.

"Good afternoon, I believe that it's already past morning." She told them, giving them the best smile she could give.

"Oh, our apologies. It seems that you're right." Said Hiro with another smile.

This shocked Utau and she thought _"Well, isn't he in a good enough mood today. He wasn't this giddy when we saw him yesterday…What's with the sudden change of attitude?"_

"Is something the matter princess?" she suddenly heard Kenta ask her. She saw her look at him, the look of worry and concern all over his face.

"No, everything's fine." Said Utau with another smile.

"You seem to be in quite a hurry/. Are you leaving for somewhere?" asked Hiro.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am." Said Utau "I need to be on my way actually."

"Sorry for keeping you." Said Kenta "Might I ask where you're going?" he asked her.

"I'm headed to town." Said Utau.

"Would you like some company?" offered Kenta "It wouldn't be safe for you to travel alone."

Utau looked at him and saw sincerity in his eyes. She knew he meant well, but it wasn't hard for her to refuse his offer. "Thank you for the kind offer, but I'll fare well on my own. I'll be meeting with Kukai there."

"Oh…" by the mention of Kukai's name, Kenta's face immediately fell. He suddenly smiled softly and said "Have a safe trip. And please do be careful."

"Thank you." Said Utau as she started to walk away. She looked back at Kenta as she walked and smiled softly_ "He's not such a bad guy…I can tell that much…I'm not so sure about his brother though…" _

Utau walked towards the carriage and met Musashi there. He opened the carriage door for her and asked "Where to Utau-hime?"

She smiled and replied "Just the usual Musashi."

"Off to see Souma-san again?" he said with a light chuckle.

"Yes, I told him I'll be coming there today, and truth be told, I feel as though I'm late." Said Utau with a smile. "You're not busy are you?" she asked.

"No, of course not." Musashi replied "I'd be more than happy to take you there."

"Thank you." Said Utau.

The carriage soon made its way to town and Utau was thrilled to see Kukai and hopefully some of her friends again. When she got there, she thanked Musashi, entered the restaurant, found it rather…empty and she also found Rima and Nagihiko talking with Kukai and Daichi.

"Look who's here." Said Daichi as he glanced over at Utau.

"Hey, and I thought you weren't coming." Said Kukai with a slight laugh as he went to her and gave her a kiss and a hug.

"Aw, isn't that cute." Said Daichi sarcastically.

Nagihiko and Rima laughed a bit at the scene as well. Utau was blushing slightly and she just smiled. "Nice to see all of you too." She told them.

"So, how was your day Utau-chan?" asked Nagihiko with a smile.

"I woke up later than usual…which would explain my being late…" she said.

"Yeah, I figured as much." Said Kukai with a laugh.

"It's not funny! I was tired and I wanted to get some more sleep too." Said Utau.

"I know and I don't blame you for it." Said Kukai "Just glad that you're safe, that's all."

"Safe? What, you thought something happened to me?" Utau asked him questioningly.

"Not really, I know you enough. Still, one can't help but worry sometimes." Said Kukai with a soft smile.  
"I'm fine, thank you." Said Utau and then she remembered something she wanted to tell Kukai "I want to talk to you about something though…"

"Yeah? Like what?" he asked her.

"Did I mention I bumped into Hiro and Kenta before I came here?" said Utau as she looked at Kukai.

He shrugged and asked "What did they do this time?"

"Nothing much, but Hiro was…a bit chatty today." Said Utau "It's like his whole quiet demeanor just…disappeared."

Kukai blinked a few times and asked "So, he talked? And when I say talk I mean giving more than one word answers or phrases."

"Yes, he did. This I found incredibly…odd." Said Utau.

"Something must have happened to him then." Suggested Rima, joining in on the conversation.

"Looks like it. People don't usually change overnight. And from what we've been told, something's up with this guy." Said Nagihiko.

"Well, it does seem that way…." Stated Utau. She couldn't put her finger to it, but she knew that Hiro was different, and somehow she felt that he was different…in a bad way…

While Utau was now in town, Amu was still in the palace, but due to Ikuto's sudden duties, she was left, currently being accompanied by Tadase. She didn't mind, of course. During her whole stay in the palace, she had developed a very good friendship with Tadase and she didn't mind spending time with him too. So, the two of them were talking and were currently in the palace garden.

"You seem to be brighter now Amu-chan. You were so gloomy back then." Said Tadase with a smile.

"You think so? Maybe it's because of all the new people I've met. And I guess all the things that have happened to me have helped too." Said Amu.

"Yes, I guess so. But it's a good thing that you and Ikuto-nii get along now. Although he still seems to have quite a habbit of teasing you." Said Tadase with a slight chuckle.

"And I doubt that it would ever change. He said so himself, that he couldn't imagine it when the day would come that he would stop teasing me." Said Amu with a sigh but she smiled inwardly. She's gotten so used to Ikuto's teasing that if he didn't tease her, she might think of him as someone else.

"That's true. I guess that's just the kind of person he is." Said Tadase.

"How about you Tadase? How have you been? Heavy duties lately?" asked Amu.

"Not quite. I've been doing well, for the most part." Said Tadase. "Nothing big has been coming up yet."

"That's nice, this gives you some time to relax right?" said Amu with a smile. "I think you and Kairi work too hard sometimes. Everyone needs some kind of break."

Tadase just laughed and spoke "I guess you're right. But not everyone get's the break they want, or so it seems."

"That's life I guess. We all have our ups and downs." Said Amu with a small shrug.

As the two of them were talking, a voice suddenly interrupted… "It's seems as though we have sudden meetings here don't we?"

Amu and Tadase turned and came face to face with Hiro. He had a smile on his face and Amu couldn't tell if it was fake or not. _"Man, he's so hard to read!" _she thought to herself.

Tadase had a different feeling suddenly rush through him_. "What's he suddenly doing here_?" he wondered.

"What's with those looks you two? It's not the first time you've both seen me around now has it?" asked Hiro.

"We were just startled Hiro-san." Said Tadase with the closest thing he could muster to be a smile.

Hiro just smiled at Tadase, one that seemed to…sweet, to be true. He looked over at Amu and spoke "Looks like you and I have a habit of coming here."

"I like it here. So I often walk to the gardens." Said Amu. She tried to keep calm, but she had a very odd and awkward feeling about the situation.

"That's nice to hear." Said Hiro "Would you like to take a walk with me?" he asked her.

"W-Well…" Amu didn't know what to say, she knew that something at the back of her head was telling her to refuse and she wanted to get out of this situation right now.

"Ikuto-nii will be coming back soon Amu-chan. Would you like to wait for him in the throne room?" offered Tadase and how he hoped that she would catch on and say yes.

"O-of course!" said Amu. _"Saved!" _she thought with a sigh.

"Ikuto? Tsukiyomi?" asked Hiro, his facial expression suddenly changing.

"Um…yes. Ikuto-nii is Utau-chan's older brother, and the prince of the kingdom." Explained Tadase.

"Yes, I've heard. And…you wish to see him?" he was looking intently at Amu, and wanted to hear her answer.

"I…" Before Amu could reply, Tadase had cut in.

"He left not too long ago, and we're just awaiting his return." He told Hiro.

"I see." Stated Hiro and then he looked at Amu and asked "You seem very eager to see him. Is something going on between the two of you?"

"Why the sudden question?" asked Amu suddenly, she just blurted it out without thinking because she wanted to know why it felt like Hiro was suddenly interrogating her!

Hiro was shocked, and I guess he had to expect this. He was after all, questioning her about her personal life. "I was just curious, that's all." He told her with another smile.

"I see." Said Amu.

"So, would you care to kindly answer my question?" he asked her. Not in a mean and demanding way, rather in a sweet way, which kind of sent chills down Amu's spine. Tadase didn't seem to take this to his liking either.

"Well, actually…Ikuto is…" before she could answer, she felt Tadase pull her away.

"Amu-chan! We have to get going." He told her and then he turned to face Hiro quickly, giving him a quick smile before speaking. "We apologize for our sudden leave Hiro-san, but it's quite urgent."

"Wait!" Hiro was supposed to stop them, but they just ran off and left him standing there alone. Suddenly, he was furious. He wanted to know what was with Ikuto and Amu, and how it bothere him so much to find out. "Don't worry…I'll find out eventually…." He muttered to himself with a sudden smirk on his face…

Amu was dragged by Tadase to who knows where as he started to slow down. Technically, he had no idea where they were heading, but frankly, he didn't care. All he knew was that they had to get as far away from Hiro as possible.

"Tadase! What was all that about?" Amu asked panting a bit from all the running.

"I'm sorry for pulling you away like that. But…I was starting to feel uncomfortable." Said Tadase.

"I was too, and I guess I have to thank you for pulling me away from him…but you suddenly dragged me out of there just when I was about to answer his question." Said Amu.

"Amu-chan, I don't want you to think that it's any of my business, but I don't think telling him about Ikuto-nii being your fiancée is a good idea." He told her honestly "Something tells me that's something he doesn't want to know."

"Why is that?" asked Amu.

"Didn't you notice that his questions were becoming too…personal?" asked Tadase.

"Yeah I did, but I figured that if he knew about Ikuto and me, then he'd stop asking me about it." Said Amu with a sigh. She just wanted Hiro to stop interrogating her.

Tadase shook his head and replied "I don't think that it would be that simple to make him stop. He seemed persistent earlier and it's not worth the risk just yet. I suggest we talk to Ikuto-nii about this first."

"Talk to me about what?" The two them turned to see Ikuto there with a small smirk on his face. He smiled at the two shocked faces he saw in front of him.

"Ikuto!" exclaimed Amu.

"Ikuto-nii! You're back!" said Tadase. In front of Hiro, Tadase told Amu that Ikuto was about to return just so they could get away, he never would have expected it to be true.

"I just got back actually." Said Ikuto "So, what's this about something you have to talk to me about?" he asked.

"Well… you see…about Hiro-san…" started Tadase.

"Hiro? Again?" Ikuto asked quizzically. He's been hearing Hiro's name a lot lately and not once has it been good news to him. And Ikuto highly doubted that things were going to change now…

"Yeah, well we bumped into him while we were walking in the gardens…" As Amu said this, she wondered to herself if she should avoid going to the gardens now, it would be a good way for her to avoid Hiro.

"You seem to be bumping into him a lot lately." Stated Ikuto "So? What happened?" he asked, looking from Tadase to Amu.

"You see…" before Tadase could explain further, they were once again, interrupted.

"So, this is the famous Tsukiyomi Ikuto? I must say…I'm honored to finally meet you in person" It was Hiro and he spoke with a small smile.

"_There it is again! Another switch from his previous attitude!" _Amu thought _"What is with this guy?" _

Ikuto raised an eyebrow, and then, he spoke "And from the looks of it…you must be Hiro."

"That's right. A pleasure." Replied Hiro.

"…" Ikuto didn't speak as he continued to observe Hiro.

Meanwhile, Amu and Tadase didn't like how the situation was turning out. They could feel the tension between the two. "_Hiro-san followed us? Why?"_ Tadase wondered.

"Ikuto…" Amu muttered.

Hiro smiled as he looked at Ikuto and then he shot a glance at Amu giving her a small smile. This didn't go unnoticed by Ikuto or by Tadase. As the two were just staring at each other, one thought had passed Ikuto, Amu and Tadase's mind _"What is Hiro up to?" _

It's Ikuto and Hiro's first encounter, and it doesn't seem like it's going off to a good start. With this much tension between the two, what can someone like Amu do now? Why is Hiro so interested in knowing about Amu and what's with all his personalities? Now, what's Ikuto going to do with his first ever meeting with Hiro?

**Authors Note: That's it! Chapter three is done! Please tell me what you think. Please Review, and thanks everyone! :D**


	4. Unpredictable Happenings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara, just my OCs**

-**Hey guys, yes it's me and I'm back again. I know, I am…1 month late! I was so occupied with the school work I had to finish that I couldn't work on this. I'm so sorry you guys. I know it took me so long and I'm so sorry. I hope you guys will still continue reading and hopefully I'll have more time on my hands now. Anyway, again I am so sorry! : ( **

**-Okay, um…a bit of info on this chapter. I tried to add as much pairings as I can and not just Amuto and Kutau this time. The others are here too. **

**-Secondly, I added Lulu to the story. I kind of feel bad for pairing Tadase up with no one, so I decided to go with Lulu, I hope you guys don't mind. **

**-Lastly, Hiro still pull's of as a mystery even at the end of this chapter, but I'll be revealing everything bit by bit. And a bit on the whole Kukai-Utau-Kenta triangle too. **

**-Okay, I'm done. I once again apologize and I'll try my best not to update like this again. Even I was shocked on how much I've been busy lately. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think. Thanks for everything you guys : ) **

**-On with Chapter 4! Enjoy!**

**Unpredictable Happenings**

There was an awkward silence that lingered in the palace halls. Ikuto and Hiro stared at each other and for Amu, it was as if time had taken it's toll and just…froze up. Tadase didn't like the silence either and he wanted to say something, but at this point, he just didn't know what to say.

"Um…Ikuto?" Amu was the one who chose to break the awkward silence between all of them.

Ikuto seemed to have snapped out of it too. He looked over at Amu and asked "Yeah?"

"W-We should go." Suggested Amu.

"Why the hurry?" It was Hiro who spoke this time. "Utau-san has not yet returned has she? Kenta wanted to see her." he stated.

"Well yes, but it's getting rather late and she should be back soon." Stated Amu. Honestly, she just wanted to leave.

"I see…" said Hiro. He was thinking of ways to make Amu stay longer, there were still so much he wanted to ask her.

"What business may you have in following us here Hiro?" asked Ikuto. His question was a bit direct to the point, and he saw Tadase and Amu's shocked faces because of it, but he didn't care. He just wanted to figure out what Hiro was up to.

"And what makes you think I've been following you?" asked Hiro curious. He refused to give in so easily.

"Well, if you weren't then you shouldn't even be so persistent in making us stay when we ask to leave." Stated Ikuto plainly.

Hiro chuckled and it made Amu shiver, it was rather…dark and cold. "Right, and what benefit would I have in following you? You might be a prince, but that wouldn't affect me now would it?" stated Hiro.

"Yeah, that's true, following me would mean nothing…." Stated Ikuto.

"Then why do you assume such things?" asked Hiro.

"But who's to say you weren't following Amu?" asked Ikuto and he saw Hiro's calm expression change immediately. "Looks like I hit a nerve didn't I?" he said with a smirk.

Hiro didn't like the way Ikuto had addressed him, and on their first meeting too. He took a breath and spoke. "And what if I was?" he stated.

Ikuto was a bit shocked that he admitted to "stalking" Amu, and this did not please him either. "Why? Why would you follow her around? I think she deserves her privacy, don't you?" stated Ikuto.

Hiro gave him a smug look and asked. "And who are you to tell me that? She's not your property now is she?" he asked, not knowing that he was not going to like the answer.

At this, Ikuto couldn't help but smirk. He looked at Hiro and spoke. "I don't think you've heard the news, now have you Hiro?" he asked.

"What news?" asked Hiro, now confused, and annoyed that he didn't have a clue as to what Ikuto was talking about.

"I wouldn't be surprised that you seem to be oblivious to it…" started Ikuto and then his smirk got bigger. "Amu here…." He took Amu's hand and held it tightly "She happens to be my _fiancée._"

Amu blushed as Ikuto held her hand and then he avoided Hiro's gaze. Hiro on the hand…his eyes had widened as soon as the word fiancée left Ikuto's lips. He was shocked… _"She was taken? By…the likes of him?"_ Hiro thought, and this made him furious!

"You don't seem to like the idea Hiro." Stated Ikuto.

"This…are you toying with me?" asked Hiro, still refusing to believe it.

"I assure you it's no joke." Said Ikuto. "In fact, if you weren't coming, our…wedding would not have been delayed."

Hiro gritted his teeth. Somehow, this piece of information made him furious. Tadase then decided to back up Ikuto's claim. "Hiro-san…Ikuto-nii isn't making jokes. He and Amu-chan truly are engaged. In fact, they're to be married soon."

Amu saw the look on Hiro's face, and she didn't expect to see him this…angry. What could have made him so…furious? Amu then stepped a bit closer to Hiro, but not too close. "Hiro-san…are you feeling alright?" she asked.

Hiro's anger immediately subsided, and he gave her a small smile "I'm perfectly fine." He then sighed and spoke again "I'll be taking my leave now. I hope to see you again soon." He then walked away, not taking a look back.

As they watched him walk away, Amu couldn't put her finger on it, but she had a bad feeling about things. "Ikuto…" she muttered.

"Something's not right with him." Stated Ikuto, as if reading her mind.

"Yes, but he seemed…rather sincere when he smiled at me." Said Amu.

"He's being awfully nice to you Amu-chan, and it no longer feels right. Especially with all the things he just asked Ikuto-nii." Said Tadase.

"He is being a bit suspicious, isn't he Ikuto?" asked Amu as she looked at him.

"Maybe, anyway, let's just forget all this. I'm kinda tired anyway." Said Ikuto with a sigh. Although deep inside, there was no way he was going to let this go.

"Okay." Both Amu and Tadase nodded.

"Come on Amu, let's go to my room for a minute, and then I'll take you to yours so you can rest." Said Ikuto as he took her hand and started walking away.

"Night Amu-chan, Ikuto-nii." Said Tadase as he waved and smiled at them.

"Night Tadase." Said Ikuto with a small smile. "Don't stay out so late."

"I won't." Tadase stated with a small chuckle "Ikuto-nii sure has changed…" he muttered to himself.

"Night Tadase, see you again tomorrow. And…thank you for spending time with me today." Amu called.

"Not a problem, and you too Amu-chan." Said Tadase. Soon, he saw the two figures disappear and then he heard the carriage enter the palace as he was walking towards his own room. "Seems like Utau-chan is home too…" said Tadase with a smile. "Well, I better get some rest as well." And so he started to walk away…

**The Next Morning…**

The following morning, Ikuto and Utau both had nothing to do. So, they decided to go to the Hinamori mansion and pay everyone else a visit. They took both Tadase and Kairi with them, and of course Amu wanted to come too.

Lucky for the three of them, they managed to avoid both Kenta and Hiro and left without a problem and without anyone trying to stop or block their way out. Tsukasa had helped them and they were more than grateful. So, the five of them rode the carriage with Musashi happily and without worries…well not now anyway…

Meanwhile, Hiro woke up on the wrong side of the bad. He was cranky today and Kenta saw that with no clue as to what was happening. He knew something was wrong with Hiro the moment that Kenta had entered the room, and it was not getting any better.

"Hiro-nii…are you alright?" asked Kenta a bit worried.

"Yeah, just peachy." The sarcasm in Hiro's voice was not missed. He didn't even bother to hide it.

"Doesn't seem that way at all." Stated Kenta with a sigh. He knew Hiro was stubborn so he was used to this. "Did something happen last night."

"I followed her…" started Hiro.

Kenta blinked and then he knew that "her" was Amu. He sighed. "Hiro-nii, I told you to leave her be. It's not nice following her around like that."

Hiro looked at his brother and smiled, but it was a forced smile. "You don't know that. I wanted to followed her because I wanted to, and I saw her with…_Ikuto_…"

"You don't like him already?" asked Kenta. The way Hiro said Ikuto's name seemed so…venomous.

"He seems to be an eyesore to my plans." Said Hiro.

Kenta looked at Hiro with sympathy, he knew what his brother meant by plans. "Hiro-nii, you can't force her you know. She might like someone else."

"She's engaged to him Kenta, but not to worry…I will get her. I never fail. Failure is not an option for me." Said Hiro bitterly.

"Hiro-nii, you don't have to always aim for pe-…" Kenta no longer got to finish because Hiro cut him off.

"Don't bother. After all we've been through I'm sure that you'll understand soon." Said Hiro as he stood up and walked towards the door to walk out. "Besides, you should be worrying about how to make Utau-hime yours, yes?"

"But she…" Again, Kenta didn't finish because Hiro had already slammed the door and walked out of the room…leaving him all alone.

"Hiro-nii…" said Kenta with a sigh…hoping that his brother was not going to result to doing something…drastic.

**In the Hinamori Mansion**

Rima was walking along the gardens alone that morning. Miki had already taken care of all her duties and she just wanted some fresh air. She sighed and smiled, ever so slightly as she looked up at the nice sky.

"Good morning Rima-chan." She turned to see Nagihiko there and smiled.

"Morning." She replied.

"You seem to be happy today." Said Nagihiko.

"I am. There's really nothing to be sad about it there?" she told him. "Have you done everything you needed to do?" she asked.

"I got things finished as early as possible. After all, Amu-chan might come and visit. She's always full of surprises." Said Nagihiko with a smile.

"Oh…" replied Rima.

"You seem to be deep in thought." Said Nagihiko "Something bothering you?" he asked.

"No, I'm okay." She replied. "I just needed to got some fresh air."

"Alright." He stated and then he suddenly walked away for a bit. This got Rima rather curious. She then saw him come back and this time she saw him hold a red rose in his hand.

"Here." Nagihiko placed the rose at the back of her ear, pushing some of her hair out of the way. "It looks nice on you." He said with a smile.

Rima blinked for a bit and then blushed. "Wh-what are you doing?" she asked.

"Just something I wanted to do. I figured it would look nice on you and I was right." Said Nagihiko. "After all, you do look beautiful."

She blushed harder and turned away slightly "You're really starting to get cheesy, you know that?" she told him, but she smiled a little, hoping to hide it from him.

He simply chucked and then spoke "Oh? I don't think so." He told her. Then, Nagihiko held her close and hugged her from behind. "You really aren't a very good liar. I can see you blushing from miles away you know?"

Rim turned her head slightly to face him and smiled. "I hate it when you figure me out like that."

"Of course, and I love you too." Said Nagihiko smiling.

Her eyes widened for a moment before they softened and she blushed. She smiled at him and just couldn't bring herself to look away. "I love you…" she muttered, barely audible, but he didn't fail to hear it.

Nagihiko smiled and slowly brought his face closer to hers and kissed her softy. She closed her eyes, her face still flushed and just enjoyed the moment. What suddenly broke their moment together was slight chuckling that was suddenly heard nearby.

She broke away from him and turned her head to see who was there. In her shock, she saw Amu, Ikuto, Kukai and Utau there and they all had either a grin or a smirk on their face. Rima's face was now as red a tomato and it was even harder to stop her face from getting any redder than that.

"W-When did you guys get here?" Rima asked.

"Just now actually." Said Kukai. "Never knew we'd see you two…like that." His grin never left his face.

"Very funny Souma-kun." Said Nagihiko with a sigh, but he still smiled, a small smile. He was also a bit embarrassed that they actually saw that, but he decided not to show it to prevent any more snide comments coming from his friends.

"C-Can we go inside now?" asked Rima. She wanted to forget what had happened in front of her friends.

"Okay, whatever you say Rima." Said Utau with a slight giggle.

They walked inside and met with Dia and Su. As they were beginning to talk, Amu noticed her other friends missing and she couldn't help but ask. "Hey, where are Ran and Miki?"

"Not here. They're both out." Said Nagihiko with a smile.

"Oh? And where did they go?" asked Utau confused.

"Well, Ran is with Daichi…again." Said Rima.

"And Yoru-kun came here to pick Miki-chan up saying they were going somewhere together today." Said Dia with a giggle.

"So that's why he left so early today." Said Ikuto.

"I wonder where they went." Said Utau. "Oh well, we can ask him that later when he gets back home. I wouldn't pass this up."

"True. I mean, it's not every day that he does things like this." Said Ikuto.

"By the way, where's Kari and Tadase?" asked Rima. "Didn't they come with you?"

"They did." Said Amu "But Tadase suddenly got called back to the palace just when we were leaving."

"He was needed for something. Tsukasa was the one that needed him, so he went with no objections." Said Utau with a shrug.

"Seems like a lot of things are going on right now." Said Nagihiko. "And what about Kairi-kun?"

"He stopped over at your place. I mean, he mentioned something about wanting to see Yaya." Said Amu with a smile.

"Ah, another unexpected turn of events. At least now, Yaya doesn't have to worry about being left alone." Said Rima. "Odd though, isn't he younger than she is?"

"By a year." Said Kukai "But no one really cares about that…" he chuckled. He was younger than Utau too, but he didn't care.

"You say that because you're in the same boat as he's in." said Rima.

"True, but I don't give a care in the world." Said Kukai with a smile and then he looked at Utau "I know how I feel, and that's enough for me."

Utau smiled lightly and spoke "Yes, I can see that."

As they continued to talk and laugh, and as Su served tea, Amu was very deep in thought. Oddly enough, Hiro's face kept flashing in the back of her mind. She no longer wanted to think about it, but something told her that Hiro was up to something, and whatever this weird feeling was, it was certainly not comforting…

In some other part of town, Yoru and Miki were together on their…"date". Of course, if asked where they had been, they would never admit that. Yoru had picked her up from the Hinamori mansion just a while back so they could spend some time together. She didn't object, and she never wanted to anyway, so now, here they were.

"Ne Miki, you sure you weren't busy~nya?" asked Yoru.

"Nope, I had tons of free time now. We make our own lives now, thanks to everyone's help." Said Miki with a smile.

"That's good to hear~nya." Yoru had been taking Miki around town for various reasons. He just mainly wanted her to have some fun, so he took her anywhere.

The two of them were walking in a small plain area filled with nothing but grass, flowers and fresh air. It was like a small 'park'. It was the perfect place for them to relax and to have some time together.

"It's really nice here." Said Miki in awe.

"I thought you'd like it here, since you like flowers and stuff like that~nya." Said Yoru.

"Yeah I do, thanks a lot Yoru." Said Miki with a smile and Yoru blushed in slight embarrassment.

"No problem~nya. Any time." He replied with a slight smile.

"Come on, let's go take a walk." Said Miki as he grabbed his hand and held it. She blushed, but she turned away hoping that he wouldn't see.

Yoru didn't seem to mind, so he simply gripped her hand tighter, but not too tight, as if not wanting to let her go. He smiled to himself when he saw the slight tint of red on her cheeks and later silently chuckled. He figured that he might as well enjoy this, while it lasted…

Back at the palace, Tadase was once again alone. He was called back so suddenly that he didn't even get to ask what it was all about. He sighed as he waited in the garden for Tsukasa to arrive. He soon heard footsteps approaching and as he turned, he saw Tsukasa approaching him….but he was not alone.

Along with Tsukasa, was a girl with long blonde hair and Tadase knew that she's never seen her before in his life, but he was captivated by her, and he couldn't help but stare.

"Hello Tadase." Said Tsukasa with a smile.

Tadase stood up from his seat and smiled back, glad that he snapped out of his former trance. "Nice to see you Tsukasa-san…and um…"

"Lulu." The girl stated with a smile "My name is Lulu de Morcef Yamamoto."

"Eh?" Tadase was shocked. He's heard of the Yamamoto family before and they're well known just about anywhere. He never imagined he'd meet their only daughter here.

"That's right. She came here for a visit and will be staying here for quite some time." Said Tsukasa with a smile.

"I see…" replied Tadase.

"So, that's why I called you here Tadase." Said Tsukasa, addressing him again.

"Excuse me?" he asked. "I'm afraid I don't follow." Tadase said confused.

"I know I disrupted some of your plans for today and I do apologize." Started Tsukasa "But I called you back for a reason. Lulu-chan would be left alone if you were to have left."

"Eh?" Tadase asked again "She'll be alone?"

"Yes, and I wouldn't want that." Tsukasa explained. "You see, I have some urgent duties to attend to, and I wouldn't want to just leave her here. So, if it's no trouble, I would want you to accompany her while I'm gone."

"Oh…alright." Said Tadase and then he looked over at Lulu "Are you sure you'd want me to accompany you though? I could always call someone else." He suggested.

"No, it's alright. I heard a lot about you Hotori-san. And I would be honored." Said Lulu with another small smile.

"Okay then." Tadase just smiled back and replied.

"Good, then I'll be taking my leave." Said Tsukasa "I'll be back soon, and do have fun you two. No need to be too serious."

"Bye. See you soon Tsukasa-san." Said Tadase.

"Thank you Tsukasa-san." Said Lulu as she waved goodbye.

Tsukasa smiled at both of them and the two were left alone. "Do you want to go anywhere Lulu-chan?" asked Tadase.

"Anywhere is fine. You can try and just surprise me." She suggested "I don't have much excitement at home anyway." Said Lulu with a sigh.

Tadase noticed that her previous attitude had disappeared slightly. She was still the same, but a little less "sweet". Now Tadase wondered if this girl was more than she looked, and he wanted to find out. He found her quite…interesting.

"I see…" Tadase replied "Alright then, shall we go?" he asked.

"Okay. And, thanks for agreeing to do this Hotori-san." Said Lulu.

"Sure, and Tadase is just fine." He told her.

She simply nodded and thanked him again. "Thank you Tadase."

As they walked away, unknown to them, someone was watching the scene. Tsukasa took a small peek at the scene and how Tadase and Lulu were doing and he smiled. They didn't know it, but before he left, he was already planning something…

"I wonder if my assumptions will be proved true?" Tsukasa asked himself and then smiled inwardly "Oh well, whatever the result, I'll do all I can to help. After all, even Tadase deserves his own happiness, and Plan A seemed to have functioned rather well."

Tsukasa slowly walked away to attend to his duties with a smile. Neither Tadase nor Lulu knew it, nor would they ever assume it, but Tsukasa…was playing matchmaker…and they'll never see that coming…

Hiro walked briskly around the palace in search of Amu. He wanted to see her again today, but to his dismay, she was nowhere to be found. He had tried asking around, just to find answers, but no one could tell him where she was.

"She's with him again, I'm sure of it. But…where could they have gone?" Hiro asked himself.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching and saw Tadase along with Lulu, and they were walking towards him. He smiled, ever so slightly and thought _"Maybe, he could give me the answers that I want to hear…" _

Hiro knew that Tadase was close to both Ikuto and Amu, so he figured this was his last shot. And he had to get it. On the other hand, Tadase had come to a complete stop when he saw Hiro heading their way…

"Tadase you alright?" asked Lulu confused as she looked at him.

"Yeah…let's go Lulu-chan…" he replied able to give out a small sigh. He knew something was coming, he just wished it wasn't Hiro, but even that was a little too much to ask for.

Soon enough Hiro had reached them, and he simply smiled at first before greeting them "A good day to you Hotori-kun and…you are?" he asked Lulu.

"Lulu de Morcef Yamamoto, a pleasure to meet you." She greeted him.

"Ah yes, the only daughter of the Yamamoto family. I've heard much about you." Hiro replied "My name is Hiro Terashima, the pleasure is mine really."

"Hiro-san, a good day to you as well." Greeted Tadase. After all, he didn't want to be rude. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked after a while.

"I was just wondering if you knew where Amu-chan was?" Hiro asked.

For some reason, Tadase was already expecting such a question. He didn't want to give anything big away so he answered in a manner he thought would be the safest. "She's with Ikuto-nii right now. They left a while ago."

"Do you happen to know where they could have gone?" asked Hiro again. _"If he thinks I'll stop here, he's wrong." _He thought to himself.

"No." replied Tadase, as direct and plain as possible. Of course, it was a lie, he knew all too well where they were, he just didn't want to say anything.

"I see." Said Hiro, but somehow, he was not buying it.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you with that, but all I know is that they had left." Said Tadase.

"No, I should be the one apologizing. I didn't mean to intrude, but if you don't mind me asking again, were any others with them?" asked Hiro. He was going to gather as much information as he could.

"As far as I know, Utau-chan is." Said Tadase.  
"Oh…alright then. I see you were left here…" Hiro stated.

"I was asked to accompany Lulu-chan because she was alone here, and Tsukasa-san had duties that he needed to attend to." Said Tadase.

"I see, well then, I shall leave you two alone as Tsukasa-san had intended yes?" he stated and then slowly began to walk away "And do tell Amu-chan that I was looking for her if ever you see her…."

As both Lulu and Tadase began to watch him leave, they both wondered where in the world he came from and why he was so…desperate to see Amu…

"You and him don't seem like good friends." Said Lulu as she looked at Tadase.

"Honestly? We aren't. He happens to be a guest here, like you, but with…alternative motives…" said Tadase "Or so I think."

"You looked like you didn't want him here." Said Lulu with a shrug "I guess this place is kind of strange…"

"Strange?" asked Tadase confused.

Lulu just giggled lightly and then she started walking "Come on Tadase, don't just stand there, you still have to give me that tour."

"Right…" he replied with a light chuckle as he followed her and started to walk as well, but the certain incident never leaving his mind…

Kenta, unlike Hiro, wasn't so persistent. The moment he found out from one of the palace guards that Utau wasn't home, he knew where she was. "She's most likely with Kukai-san again…" he muttered with a sigh…

"_Don't bother. After everything we've been through I'm sure you'll understand soon."_ That phrase suddenly flashed back into his mind. Hiro saying that earlier this morning had troubled him and he knew that his brother was working…in a not so pleasing manner…

"_Besides, you should be worrying about how to make Utau-hime yours, yes?" _This phrase was another thing he couldn't get off his head. He knew that Utau was engaged, but that just couldn't stop him from getting so attracted to her… _"But, doing something like destroying their engagement just wouldn't feel right…" _he had thought to himself with a sigh…

"Hm? Kenta-kun?" Kenta looked up to see Tsukasa there in from of him with a confused look on his face.

"Ah! Tsukasa-san, nice to see you." Said Kenta with a small smile.

"Same to you." Said Tsukasa and then he asked "Is something wrong? You seem rather…depressed today."

"N-no, I'm fine. I just have a lot of things in my mind." Said Kenta.

"I see…." Then Tsukasa smiled slightly and asked "Were you looking for Utau-chan?"

Kenta's eyes widened in shock and then he just nodded in reply. Tsukasa knew why he was acting thing way, but he didn't want to press on matters that would make Kenta feel worse. So instead, Tsukasa gave him an offer…

"Kenta-kun, if ever you need to talk about it, just feel free to see me." Said Tsukasa with a warm smile "And I'll be willing to listen to whatever you have to say."

Eyes wide in shock, Kenta smiled and he suddenly realized why Tsukasa was so close to this family. The fact that he was so kind as to be willing to listen to whatever petty problem he had was a very generous offer.

"I'll make sure to take up your offer Tsukasa-san. Thank you very much." Said Kenta.

"Alright. Whenever you have the time then." Tsukasa replied.

"Of course." Kenta slowly began to walk away and he simply smiled. Then, something Tsukasa said made him halt for a few seconds.

"You know, you should get to know Kukai-kun, he's very nice and easy to get along with. I wouldn't be surprised if you and him were to get along rather well." Said Tsukasa "And, believe me, that boy isn't ordinary…you'll soon come to realize that yourself, I'm quite sure of it…"

"Thank you." Was the only thing that Kenta could say before completely walking away…but what Tsukasa said about Kukai made him wonder who the older Souma truly was in reality…and why Tsukasa said he wasn't ordinary….

**Later that Evening….**

Ikuto and Amu had returned home, along with Utau, Kairi and Yoru. Kairi was with Yaya in the dance academy the entire time, while Yoru had returned from his "date" with Miki. As they got down from the carriage, they were told by Musashi that Tadase was looking for them.

They all went to the gardens to see Tadase there with Lulu. Ikuto and Utau were shocked to see the young Yamamoto in their home, but they didn't mind. They were more shocked to see Tadase with her, but again, they knew nothing, so they just kept quiet about it…for now.

"Oi Tadase." Ikuto called.

Tadase turned around and saw Ikuto and the others walking towards them. "Welcome home everyone." He greeted.

"It's nice to be home." Said Utau with a smile but she still wished that Kukai could have stayed with them.

"Who's this Tadase-kun?" asked Amu as she's never really met or heard of Lulu in her life.

"This is Lulu de Morcef Yamamoto of the Yamamoto family." Said Tadase.

Lulu bowed politely. "A pleasure to meet you, Amu Hinamori-san." She greeted "And you too Utau-san and Ikuto-san."

"Please, just drop all the formality junk." Said Utau with a small smile "Just Utau is fine."

"Nice to meet you too Lulu, and you can just call me Amu." Amu stated.

"Thank you." Lulu replied. Yoru and Kairi had also introduced themselves and Tadase had explained that Lulu would be staying at the palace for the time being.

"We're glad to have you." Said Utau.

"Thank you for your kindness. I'm looking forward to meeting your fiancée Utau-chan." Said Lulu with a smile.

The mere mention of that made Utau's face slightly turn red. "Um…thanks…"

Lulu giggled lightly and spoke "Don't worry, I know about him, and trust me when I say I know what it feels like when the kingdom leaders dare interrupt your decisions in life."

"Ugh, tell me about it." Sighed Utau.

"I know about you too Amu." Said Lulu.

"Really? Then I'll be sure to introduce you to the others." Said Amu.

"Great. Looks like you guys are going to get along just fine." Said Ikuto with a very small smile, he was tired and just wanted some rest.

"Oh come on, don't be so grouchy." Said Utau with a smirk "That's not a good practice, for a future husband."

The others laughed and Ikuto just rolled his eyes and eventually smiled. "Hey, I hate to interrupt, but it is getting late~nya." Said Yoru.

"Yes, I'd be best for us to get some rest now." Agreed Kairi.

They all agreed to this and said their goodbyes for the night. They had agreed to meet up again tomorrow morning and take Lulu to town. They knew that Lulu was going to be a great addition to their "family", but they were all still oblivious to what Tsukasa had had in mind….specifically for Lulu and Tadase…

Unlike the others, Hiro was in his room alone, and was contemplating on certain events that had happened that day. He had seen Ikuto and Amu come back home together earlier, along with Yoru, Kairi and Utau. Seeing those two together, so happy and smiling just made his blood boil.

"I will not give up…I can't…" Hiro told himself.

At that moment, Kenta had entered his room and spoke "Sorry for just coming in, but I did knock and you weren't answering."

"It's nothing." Hiro said with a sigh.

"Not in a good mood again are we?" asked Kenta.

Hiro calmed down and spoke "Sorry for my actions this morning…I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"It's alright Hiro-nii…" Kenta replied.

"Kenta, I'm not going to give up." Said Hiro.

Kenta sighed sadly and spoke "I know, but…try to think about things first."

"She's the one, I know it. She'll understand me, understand us…I need her…." Hiro said and even for just a moment, Kenta heard the sadness in his tone.

"Do you really?" Kenta asked silently…

"Yes, and I will put my plans into action…I have to make her realize that I'm better for her…" As he said this, he looked at Kenta with seriousness in his eyes. At that moment, Kenta knew that his brother was about to start doing things, things he might regret….and sadly, possibly things Kenta himself, even if he was Hiro's brother, can no longer stop from happening….

**Authors Note: I again apologize for the EXTREME lateness of this chapter. If you guys can, please Review and do tell me what you think. Thanks everyone! :D**


	5. Discoveries and Festivities

**Disclaimer: I do not own this show.**

**-Hey everyone! Yeah late again, but I've been busy, really busy I barely had time to breathe. Everything in school kept piling up, it was project month so yeah. **

**-I hope you enjoy this Chapter and please review and tell me what you think. **

**-Hey guys A MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE! Let's all take the time to remember the reason for the season! GOD BLESS EVERYONE! MAY YOU HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY! : ))**

**-On with the chapter! **

**Discoveries and Festivities**

The sun barely came out today. It was in the winter seasons, and the wind blew strongly in the streets. The Kingdom was not affected by blizzards and snow storms, but it was still cold. A few weeks had passed since Hiro had told Kenta that he was going through with whatever he had planned, and shockingly nothing's happened yet. The sudden change of weather bothered many, but they were used to it. This kind of weather lasted only a few weeks in their kingdom, so most no longer minded.

It was late in the morning when Kenta decided to wander around the town. He wanted to get away from the palace today and the town was the best place to go to. Hiro was already acting stranger by the minute, and he didn't want to get caught up in his brother's morning rants. Kenta had stayed in the palace earlier but decided against staying there longer when he found that both Utau and Ikuto had duties and he was to be left somewhat alone.

As he walked down the streets of the semi-crowded town, he found soon found himself seeing with someone familiar to him. He blinked a few times before he called out to the person in front of him.

"S-Souma…san?" he called.

Kukai blinked a few times and he heard someone from behind calling him. He had his back turned and when he turned around, he saw Kenta there staring at him wide eyed. "Eh? Kenta Terashima….right?" he said shocked.

"Yes, that's right." Said Kenta.

"What are you doing in a place like this?" Kukai asked confused _"What in the world __**is**__ he doing in a place like this?" _he thought to himself.

"Um…nothing much, really. I just needed to get away from the palace that's all." Said Kenta.

"Is that so?" Kukai replied.

There was an awkward silence between the two of them before Kukai broke the silence. He didn't like it that they were so quiet, and it made him feel weird. "So…" he started "What were you planning to do when you got here?" he asked.

"Oh….I guess I never really thought about it. I just arrived not too long ago and just began to wonder around the area." Explained Kenta.

Kukai placed an arm on the back of his head and sighed. "Man…um…that's not gonna work." He stated.

"Excuse me?" asked Kenta confused, he didn't quite understand what Kukai meant by that.

"Well, you can't just wander around here in town." Said Kukai. "I mean sure, it's all peaceful and safe, but getting lost is another story. Especially if you don't even have a destination in mind."

"I see…well, I'm not really familiar here so I really don't know where to…" before Kenta could even finish what he had to say, he heard Kukai chuckling in the background. He was confused and thought that he was being…mocked in a way.

"Sorry, it's just, man you're something else." Said Kukai "And no, I am not mocking you."

Kenta blinked and asked "And when did you learn to read minds?"

"Never. Just the expression on your face is enough to tell me you're thinking that." Said Kukai with a grin. "So, what's your plan now? I mean, you're one of the few I know who'd seriously just come to a place they have absolutely no clue about. Who does that these days?"

Kenta shrugged "I'm not sure I need to have a reason to come here."

"You don't, but you could have chosen a place you were familiar with. Some other place where you can assure your safety and not get lost perhaps?" suggested Kukai.

"I guess I just want thinking." Said Kenta.

Kukai sighed. There was nothing he could do if Kenta was there now, but he didn't have it in him to just leave the guy wandering off to who knows where in town either. He sighed deeply again and thought to himself _"I can't believe I'm doing this…."_

"Hey, if you've got nowhere to go, why not come with me?" offered Kukai.

"Are you serious?" asked Kenta doubting him a bit.

"Would you do that, or would you rather stay here in a crowd not knowing where to go?" suggested Kukai.

Kenta sighed this time and replied "Alright, point taken."

"Okay then, it's settled." Said Kukai with a small smile _"Time to see what he's really like on the inside…"_ Kukai didn't really feel comfortable in accompanying his…rival or so it seemed, but he's not the type to just judge people either. _"Might as well give this a shot…" _

"A question though…" stated Kenta.

Kukai looked at him confused and asked "Yeah? What's up?"

"Where exactly are you planning to take me?" he asked.

Kukai's face suddenly displayed a wide grin "Kenta, I'm going to teach you how to live! Come on! And no, I'm not grabbing your hand, so you better know how to keep up."

Suddenly, Kenta saw Kukai dash off somewhere and then he yelled "H-Hey! Souma, wait just a minute! Hey!" and as much as it shocked him, he ended up running after Kukai too…and so, his twisted day begins…

**Meanwhile…**

Amu was walking alone in the palace halls today. Ikuto and Utau were both out of the question, seeing as they went off somewhere because of royal duties. Tadase was there, but he was with Lulu, and she did not want to intrude on them. So, she decided being alone wasn't so bad, it gave her time to relax, she needed it too every once and a while. She did have plans, but that was for tonight, she was free this whole morning.

As she was walking, she suddenly came face to face with Hiro. He smiled after seeing her, but Amu on the other hand felt chills run down her spine. "Hiro…."

"A pleasure to see you again Amu." Said Hiro "We really have to stop meeting each other like this, wouldn't you agree?"

"_You're the one who's been following me!_" thought Amu. "Um…yeah…" she replied uncomfortably.

"So, I take it that you are alone today as well?" asked Hiro.

"Um, yes. Ikuto and Utau are both out right now." Said Amu. She stared at the ground and in any other direction, as long as she avoided eye contact with Hiro.

"And Hotori-san?" asked Hiro.

"Not here, I mean, he's with someone right now. And Kairi isn't here either." Said Amu before he started asking. She just wanted to finish this conversation and leave. The uncomfortable feeling inside her was growing.

"You seem tense." Said Hiro suddenly.

"Do I?" asked Amu as casually as possible. "I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"Is that really the case?" asked Hiro, taking a step closer to her.

Amu, who didn't like where this was going, took a step back. This did not go unnoticed by Hiro and he frowned slightly. "Is everything alright?" he asked her sweetly.

"Y-yeah." Replied Amu.

"You really do seem tense. Something must be bothering you." Stated Hiro, and he stepped closer to her again.

It was like a routine. He would come closer, and the moment she noticed, she would take a step back. It was beginning to annoy Hiro a bit that Amu seemed so distant towards him, especially now. He finally has her to himself, without Ikuto in the picture, and she's doing everything to avoid him.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Hiro asked. He stopped moving closer, fearing that she'd soon make a run for it, and that's something he didn't want to risk.

"I…" Amu didn't know weather to tell him the truth, or lie about it.

"Hm?" asked Hiro skeptically.

"_If I tell him I have plans, he'd be sure to ask for details and that would make me stay here with him longer, but if I tell him otherwise, he's probably going to ask me to accompany him, and that's the last thing I want right now!"_ Amu thought long and hard about her answer, something she couldn't give so easily, and she had to think it through carefully.

"You seem deep in thought…why is that I wonder? I simply asked a simple question did I not?" Hiro was loosing his patience and he was now certain that Amu was avoiding him. Even he couldn't put up the 'calm, cool and collected' act forever.

"I…" She was stuck, and didn't know what to say, but then she got an idea "I was planning to visit my friends back at home."

"Oh, that seems nice. Let me accompany you." Said Hiro.

"_He's still not letting me go anywhere_!" She was getting a bit freaked out with all his interrogations and persistence.

"Would you mind if I did? I can't let a lady travel alone." Said Hiro.

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to bother you. I can go on my own." She said to him with a small, forced, smile. She was hoping it'd be enough to make him leave, but even she knew that it would be too good to be true.

"Please, it would be my pleasure to accompany you." He told her.

Amu couldn't take it anymore. She felt that if she didn't think of something now, she'd be stuck here arguing with him on the never ending subject forever. She sighed and looked behind her. Soon, she ignored everything else and gave him a simple, direct and final answer to her decision.

"Uh…I should go. Please excuse me." Amu said as she was trying every effort t get as far away from Hiro, as quickly as possible.

As she was about to go, Hiro suddenly grabbed a hold of her hand, and gripped it tight. He was not going to let her escape so easily. "No, do stay." He said it a little to fiercely for her liking.

Amu squinted slightly as she tried to free herself. The more she tried to struggle, the tighter his grip was getting.

Hiro had noticed her sudden discomfort and immediately loosened his grip on her. He did want her to stay, but he didn't want to hurt her in any way. He did not want to use force if it was not necessary.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause you pain." Said Hiro apologetically. Amu didn't know if he seriously meant that or not.

"I-it's fine." She said, she silently gritted her teeth in frustration because she couldn't get away. She was usually patient with Hiro, but he was driving her up the wall.

"Would you kindly reconsider my offer?" He asked politely.

"No thank you." Replied Amu immediately, she didn't even thinking of anything at the moment, she just wanted him to leave so she gave off a rather direct answer.

That was Hiro's breaking point. He became rather furious and gripped her arm once again, and this time, he didn't seem to have any intention of letting it loose.

"Hiro, let me go." Said Amu calmly, at least, she was trying her hardest to be calm at the moment.

"I'm sorry. I can't do that." Stated Hiro a bit roughly.

"And why not?" asked Amu shocked. _"What's he doing?" _

Hiro's eyes completely became dark and cold. Amu shivered at his touch and was trying her hardest to get away from him, but it all seemed to be in vain. It wasn't long when Hiro becan to speak to her again, and his tone was dead serious.

"Amu, I don't want to use force on you, I want you to understand." Said Hiro.

"What's that supposed to mean? I don't understand you at all!" retorted Amu, she really didn't.

"Hm, what would be the best way to say this…" said Hiro softly.

"…" Amu kept silent and waited for his answer. Even if she didn't want to hear it, he was not giving her much of a choice either.

"I want you…to be with me." That was rather direct, but it didn't seem like he cared.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Wh-what are you talking about? I-I have Ikuto with me!"

Hiro gritted his teeth "That low-life doesn't deserve you!" he was outraged and he wouldn't be surprised if someone else had heard him.

Amu had enough of it. She was not going to take this just standing there all defenseless. She did the next thing she could….SLAP! Hiro's eyes widened in shock and his grip on her loosened as Amu's hand made contact with his cheek.

She used this opportunity to jerk her hand away from his grasp and move away. "Don't talk about him like that! And do me a big favor, LEAVE ME ALONE!" and with that, she dashed to another direction, leaving Hiro speechless.

"…" Hiro couldn't do anything as he watched Amu leave. When he finally realized what was going on, she was already gone. He cursed mentally and gritted his teeth. "I didn't want to use force, but it seems like there's just no other way….Just you wait. I'm not done yet." He said softly but darkly, before he walked away from that hall…

Amu ran away from where Hiro was standing as quickly as she could. At first she had no idea where her feet were taking her, that is until she saw Musashi sitting near the carriage. She went directly to him and called. "Musashi!"

Musashi's head perked up when he heard his name being called. He recognized the voice, it was all too familiar to him already. He smiled as he saw Amu approaching him and when she was near enough, he spoke too. "Good day Amu-san."

Amu shook her head. "I can't really say my day's been good so far." She told him panting slightly after all that running.

"Oh? Did something happen?" asked Musashi.

"You could say that." Said Amu and she asked him "Do you plan to do anything today?"

"No, as far as I'm concerned. Why?" he asked her rather confused.

"I was wondering if you could take me to the Hinamori Mansion today. That is, if you don't mind." Said Amu "It's fine if you've got other plans."

Musashi shook his head. "I would be happy to take you there, I wouldn't dare reject it."

"Really? Are you sure?" asked Amu.

"Of course. Ikuto-san told me to stay here and take you wherever you wanted to go." Said Musashi with a smile. "He said he was sure you wouldn't be able to stand being here in the palace alone and that you would probably choose to visit your friends."

Amu smiled "Thanks." She told him and a thought also passed her mind… _"Thanks to you too, Ikuto!"_

"Shall we gat going now?" asked Musashi.

"Thanks a lot Musashi. I really need this." Said Amu as she was assisted by Musashi and climbed up the carriage.

"Not a problem. Now, please do relax and I'll be alerting you when we're near our destination." Said Musashi as he began to drive the carriage.

As Amu watched the castle slowly disappear as they went, she couldn't stop thinking about all that's happened. _"And it's just so early too! I cant believe my morning of peace was interrupted by him!" _shesighed _"I have to talk to the others about it. I know I'm making an unexpected arrival, but there was no way I was staying in a place with him following me…"_

**Back with Kukai and Kenta**

Kukai had taken Kenta to various random places in the town. So far, Kenta wasn't such a bad guy, at least in Kukai's point of view. Shockingly, they were actually getting along quite well. As for Kenta, he couldn't help but think the same thing. After all, he was enjoying himself at the moment and they didn't seem to be in the verge of arguing either.

"So, is the town always this busy?" asked Kenta. They were walking around now, and he had no idea where Kukai was taking him.

"Kind of. You can never really tell what's going to happen out here with all there different people." Said Kukai.

Kukai led Kenta to his place and they entered the restaurant. As they entered Daichi was already there cleaning up some tables. "Hey Kukai." He greeted and he looked over at Kenta and just smiled and said "Hey."

"Um…hi?" Kenta was shocked too. He wondered why Kukai would take him to a place like this and how this boy in front of him knew Kukai well.

"Hey Daichi." Said Kukai with a grin. "You clean up well on your own."

"Doesn't mean I don't need your help." Said Daichi with a smirk "You must be enjoying the no work policy that Utau tied around you."

"Me? No way. I enjoy this kind of stuff." Said Kukai "But it is good to take a break some time. It's not like I was slacking or anything."

"Yeah right." Said Daichi with a small laugh, and then he asked. "So, is this Terashima-san?"

"Yup, Kenta Terashima." Introduced Kukai and then he looked at Kenta "And this is my brother Daichi."

Kenta's eyes widened "Brother?"

"Yeah. I guess I forgot to mention it, but I have a younger brother." Said Kukai.

"And he lives…where?" asked Kenta. He was shocked that Kukai had a brother that worked for one, and second, the fact that a prince engaged to Utau actually does labor, and in town too! _"He's a prince! Isn't he…? I mean he is engaged to Utau so…"_

"Oh boy…this can get ugly…you're telling me he doesn't know?" asked Daichi as he faced Kukai.

"No he doesn't, but I thought Tsukasa told him or something." Said Kukai with a shrug.

"Doesn't look like it." Said Daichi as he shook his head and sighed. "And it sure doesn't look like he's figured out on his own either."

"Figured what out?" asked Kenta now more confused than before.

"Dude, Daichi lives here." Said Kukai and he saw the shock in Kenta's face and he added "And I live here too, in case you were going to ask."

"Y-you?" asked Kenta again.

"Yeah." Replied Kukai.

Kenta stood there completely motionless for a moment. He couldn't believe it, it just not possible. "But aren't you…you're engaged to Utau!" he stated.

Kukai sighed and smiled a bit "Yeah I am."

"Then you're supposed to be a prince." Said Kenta as he looked directly at Kukai.

Kukai gave him a sincere smile and spoke boldly and honestly "No I'm not. That's where you're wrong man."

"What?" asked Kenta shocked.

"Is it that hard to believe? And yeah, the straight answer? I'm no prince. Never was, and I do not belong in the whole royal lineage thing either." Said Kukai.

"But you…and Utau…." Said Kenta, not even being able to finish what he had to say. He could no longer find the words even if he wanted to.

"That's true. I am engaged to Utau. But that doesn't mean that I'm a prince." He told Kenta.

"What about the royals? They approved of this? And how could the law just be defiled?" Kenta asked him.

"Can you please calm down?" asked Kukai with a small sigh. He knew that if Kenta found out about him, there was going to be an issue for sure. In a sense, he already saw this coming.

"I just…I'm just…." Kenta tried to find the right words but he seemed to be totally speechless at the moment.

"Yeah let me guess…shocked? Surprised?" asked Kukai knowingly "Trust me, I know what it feels like."

"H-how?" asked Kenta and then he shook his head "No, this is just impossible."

"Look, I asked Utau to marry me not because she was some princess okay? I love her." Said Kukai "And I know this is going to cause issues, but hey, what else is new?"

"I have to go. Thanks for the tour…" Said Kenta with his head hung low. He walked away and never looked back. He never would have admitted it, but he really did enjoy himself, it made him feel like he made a friend. He felt a bit betrayed that Kukai didn't tell him immediately about himself but he wasn't too shocked either.

"_What I can't believe the most is that…she's engaged to someone with his social status…"_ Kenta thought to himself and even though Kukai was extremely nice to him there was another thought that had crossed his mind, this not as friendly as the other _"I didn't want to do it, but…I can't help seeing this to my advantage…I just can't give up on her now…"_

Meanwhile, Kukai sighed as he watched Kenta leave. He knew something like this was bound to happen if he wasn't careful. Seeing it happen actually made him feel bad. "Oh brother…" he sighed.

"Hey Kukai, you going to be alright?" asked Daichi.

"Yeah, I kinda expected that stuff to happen anyway." Said Kukai with a sigh. "He's a pretty nice guy Daichi, someone just has to tae the time to get to know him."

"He just doesn't seem to get things yet huh?" asked Daichi.

"Looks like it. I mean, I did have fun with the guy. He's pretty talkative you know." Said Kukai with a small chuckle.

"But Kukai, what are you going to do now? He knows." Said Daichi knowingly.

"I have to stay alert like always. Something tells me this could be the first and last time he's going to act natural around me, especially after finding out." Said Kukai with a sigh.

"That's kind of a shame isn't it? You said he was nice." Said Daichi as he walked a bit closer to his older brother.

"He is. But I think that the whole social class thing is still a big issue for him, or any royal for that matter." Said Kukai "So, I can't say we weren't warned."

"Are you planning anything else?" asked Daichi.

"Nah, we'll just have to wait and see how things turn out no?" asked Kukai with a small smile and then he added "I might have a talk with Utau and the others about what happened though."

"Speaking of the others…" started Daichi.

"Yeah?" asked Kukai.

"Ran came here earlier and told me to ask you to go to the mansion today." Said Daichi.

"What for?" asked Kukai.

"We're having some sort of celebration, just some get together tonight. I heard Su's prepared all of our favorite dishes." Said Daichi.

"Really? Now I'm definitely in for that." Said Kukai. "Come on then, what are we waiting for!"

"Energetic all of a sudden now aren't we?" asked Daichi with a grin "You're just in on it for the food aren't you?"

"Hey Su's cooking is something else, so who could blame me? Plus you're going there for practically the same reason aren't you?" said Kukai.

"Guilty as charged." Said Daichi with another grin. "Come on and let's help them out a bit, we wouldn't want to just eat and run would we?"

"Point taken." And with that said, Kukai and Daichi soon made their way to their next destination. The Hinamori Mansion…

**In The Mansion**

Su was in the kitchen making all the different dishes for their little get together, when the door bell rang. "Dia! Someone's at the door!~desu." Called Su.

"Coming!" said Dia.

She made her way to their front door and then as she opened it, she was extremely happy when she saw Amu at the door. "Amu-chan! My, aren't you here early." Greeted Dia.

"Hey Dia, sorry about this. I was supposed to come later, but something came up." Said Amu with a small smile. "Is Ami here?"

"She's still sleeping, taking a nap rather." Said Dia "Come in Amu-chan."

"Thank you." Said Amu as she walked inside. As she came inside she smiled widely. They did some decorating and cleaned the entire place up too.

"Do you like it?" asked Dia as they continued to walk inside.

"Yes. This is great. You sure know how to clean things up here Dia." Said Amu.

"No, it wasn't just me. It was everybody's efforts that made all this." Said Dia "I'm glad that you like it."

"Well, look who's here." Amu looked and saw Nagihiko and Rima approaching her and Dia.

"Nagi! Rima!" she went over and ran to her friends and gave them both a hug, in which they both returned.

"We're glad to see you too." Said Rima with a small smile. "Is it cold outside?"

"Colder than earlier, yes. It's tolerable though." Said Amu.

"Yeah, that's a good sign. Meaning we can eat in the gardens tonight." Said Nagihiko and then he looked at Amu and smiled "You're rather early. Ikuto and Utau won't be coming until later."

"I know. But…something came up." Said Amu.

Nagihiko and Rima looked at each other and so did Dia. They saw the immediate change in Amu's expression and became curious. "Something wrong?" asked Dia concerned.

"Kind of. Something happened that made me come here early." Said Amu. "I didn't mean o intrude."

"No, not at all." Said Dia "You're welcome here anytime."

"This is your house you know." Said Rima.

Nagihiko looked at her and spoke "Might I suggest that we talk about this elsewhere?"

"Good idea." Said Rima "What about your room Amu?" she suggested.

"Yeah, okay." Said Amu with a nod.

"Looks like something's going on. Mind if we drop in?" They all turned and saw Kukai and Daichi walking towards them and Miki and Ran were there too.

"Hey everyone." Greeted Kukai with a grin.

"Hey to you too." Said Rima.

"So, what's going on? We feel left out." Said Daichi.

"Us too!" said Ran.

"You just got here." Rima pointed out with a sigh.

They just grinned and soon Nagihiko spoke "Come on, let's go to Amu-chan's room and talk about it."

They all nodded and agreed. Dia even called Su and asked her to come to Amu's room as soon as possible. Preparations were made early so they had time to spare. Ikuto and Utau weren't there yet so they had time to kill. Once they got to Amu's room, they all sat in a circle and began their little conversation.

"So Hinamori, what's all this about?" asked Kukai.

"Well…you guys know the Terashima family sons right?" asked Amu.

"Yeah, you talked to us about them before. So?" asked Rima curiously. "Please don't tell me that they're here to cause trouble."

"Well, I….honestly don't know." Said Amu sadly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Miki.

"I just…I kind of bumped into him this morning, and things did not go so well….I ended up slapping him in the face." Said Amu with a sigh.

"Wow, who knew. Was is that bad?" asked Daichi as the others seemed to stare at her in shock with what she just said.

"He started it! He was…the guy was stalking me! And he wouldn't let me go!" said Amu.

"Looks like they really are another pair for trouble. How about his younger brother?" asked Rima.

"He met with me." Said Kukai.

"Did he?" asked Nagihiko "And why is that?"

"No reason. The guy just dropped by and he didn't know where he was going so I accompanied him for a while." Said Kukai.

"And then something happened?" Ran guessed.

Kukai sighed "Yeah, he found out."

"Found out?" asked Nagihiko "You mean about…"

"Yeah." Said Kukai "That I'm no royal, no noble and just plain old me."

"And how did he take it?" asked Rima, already knowing the answer.

"Not so well." Said Kukai "I mean, I don't blame the guy though. I expected him, but he was a nice guy, so I do feel bad."

"Looks like you two got some bonding time done." Said Nagihiko "And from the looks of it, Kenta-kun doesn't seem like that bad of a guy."

"Yeah, he doesn't seem that way. But you should have seen his face!" said Daichi as he shook his head "He was so shocked he barely made a move."

"That's to be expected. As Kukai said, no one knows much about his background. We need to lie low and fix things first." Said Nagihiko.

"Those kingdom leaders are starting to bother me. I mean, who do those freaks think they are!" said Rima.

"Chill, I don't really care much about what they think. Not like they can threaten me or anything, I still have the Tsukiyomis on my side." Said Kukai with a small smile.

"We know, but one could never be too sure with these things." Said Dia. "Now, Amu-chan, what exactly did Hiro-san tell you?"

"Well you see he told me that he wanted me to…." Before Amu could finish there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." said Amu.

In came Su, Ikuto, Yoru, Tadase, Lulu, Kairi, Yaya, Temari, who was holding Ami, Rhythm and Utau. Utau gave all her friends and Kukai a big hug, Ikuto went over to Amu and hugged her too, and Su came in to tell them that the food was all ready. "You're here early." Said Kukai with a smile.

"Oh that. We didn't bother stopping by in the palace anymore." Said Utau and then she asked "Are you alright? Something seems odd."

"Huh? Nah, I'm okay." Said Kukai with a smile.

"If you say so…" said Utau as she dropped the subject, but she was certain that something was wrong.

"Hey Ikuto." Greeted Amu.

"What that's it?" asked Ikuto as he grinned.

Amu just smiled softly and spoke "Yeah, I'm just glad that you're here…"

Ikuto stared at her dumbfounded. When did she ever react like that? Once in a blue moon? "Amu, are you alright?" Ikuto asked.

"Yeah just fine." Said Amu. She saw the look on his face and she immediately composed herself. The last thing she wanted was to make him worry. "Hey, I'm fine, really. Stop looking at me like that."

Ikuto sighed "I you say so."

"Okay enough! Time to celebrate people!" said Kukai. He didn't want to act down and show Utau that he wasn't feeling well. So he immediately reverted back to his old self.

"Yeah!" the others shouted in unison.

They all went to the garden and saw all the colorful decorations that had been put up, mostly by Miki. Even she was proud of her work. As they ate and had their feast and celebration, all of them had different thoughts in mind….

"_I'll tell her, when the time is right. Now, we just have to make the most of what we can, after all it's a time to celebrate."_ Thought Kukai with a smile.

"_I'm sure we'll get through this…I have to tell Ikuto…but, not now. I'm just really happy that he's here with me…"_ thought Amu gratefully.

As for the others they all had other thoughts. As of now they would let their troubles go, and enjoy their time together, hoping that soon, they would have an even brighter tomorrow…a hopeful tomorrow, for them and wishing the same for others too…they want to make it all last…

**Authors Note: Hey guys, a Merry Christmas to everyone! Please do review and tell me what you think. Thanks again guys! **


	6. New Leader,New Problems

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara. **

**-I'm back! =)))) Hey guys. I know I am months beyond my usual update! But I got caught up in my last quarter of school. Vacation starter 3 weeks ago, but I needed my rest and we still have graduation practice =((((. Anyway, I hope you guys are still reading this. **

**-Thanks for all the reviews, and I hope you like this chapter too. I'll be able to update quicker, since it's vacation =))))**

**-Please Review and tell me what you think. Suggestions are welcome =))**

**-Wouldn't want to keep you guys, so here's the next Chapter! **

**New Leader, New Problems**

It has been days since Kenta had found out about Kukai, days since their celebration and days since peace. A bit of havoc has been ensuing because the royals have been having problems in defending their stand to some of the kingdom leaders. They were having an argument on why Utau was engaged to Kukai, and as long as this issue has been going on, Utau had always, and stated that will continue to, refuse attending the useless banter of her life.

"I said no, and I mean no." Utau said without looking her brother in the eye.

"You could at least defend yourself from them." Stated Ikuto with a sigh.

"I did. But it's not like they ever listened to me to begin with, so why start now?" asked Utau knowingly "And do you honestly think they'd see it my way?"

"I never said that they would just see it your way, but you have to fight for it." Said Ikuto.

Utau looked at him now and gave a huff. "What do you think I've been doing these past few months? Nothing?"

Ikuto sighed "Utau…have you even told Kukai about this yet?" he asked.

"Do you think I need to?" asked Utau.

"Of course. Come on, he has the right to know." Said Ikuto seriously.

"I know that." She answered.

"Then why are you keeping this from him?" asked Ikuto questioningly.

"Who in the world said I was keeping it from him?" Utau asked incredulously.

"Didn't you just say you haven't told him yet?" asked Ikuto.

"Sure, but that doesn't mean I don't intend to, or the fact that I really don't need to. He isn't blind. We've talked about it before already because he's already noticed it. I didn't even have to say anything." Said Utau knowingly.

"Looks like Souma's still sharp as always." Ikuto said, finally grinning.

"Yeah. But still, it pisses me off how they won't just go crawl into a hole and disappear." Saud Utau in disgust.

"Make them leave then." Suggested Ikuto "How do you think I got away with everything I ever did before Amu came along?"

"Please, you're rebellious remember?" said Utau.

"Oh, and you aren't?" asked Ikuto.

"Never said that. I just stated that you're rebellious. More so than I am." Said Utau.

"So, what is it that you plan to do now?" asked Ikuto.

"Honestly, I don't know. I'm so tired of all this that I guess I stopped trying to stop them." Said Utau with a sigh. She did want to do something. Thing is, what else was there to do that she hasn't tried yet?

"If you leave it alone, it's just going to get worse." Said Ikuto seriously. "You do not want it to come to that, trust me."

"I know, but do you think I'm not trying here? My goodness Ikuto, I'm simply wasting my breath on them if they won't even give me a time of day." Said Utau.

Ikuto sighed. He knew that she had a good point, but even he was getting tired of all this havoc, and he wasn't even the one involved! "Listen, just…" before he could finish, a knock had suddenly interrupted.

"Come in." stated Utau.

The door opened to reveal Kairi with Tadase and Lulu. The three of them came in and then Tadase asked "Are we here on a bad time?"

"Not really." Said Utau "We were just having a little conversation."

"I see." Said Kairi "It didn't seem that way…"

"Sorry for that then." Said Utau and then she looked at them and asked "So, what seems to be the problem?"

"Well, we were just wondering if you would be joining us in the Hinamori mansion today…" said Tadase.

"Amu's already there." Said Lulu with a smile. "She asked Yoru to take her."

"Oh?" asked Ikuto with a confused look. "Why didn't she tell me about that?"

"She said you were rather busy, and tasked us to give you the invite after your daily duties." Said Kairi with a smile "She was kind enough not wanting to interrupt."

"I'd rather she did interrupt." Said Ikuto with a groan.

"Hey, stop complaining." Said Lulu with a smirk "You escape enough of your duties as it is."

"She's right Ikuto. No need to be sour about it." Said Utau in agreement "You'll be seeing Amu in a while anyway."

"Exactly." Said Tadase. "Then I take it you'll both be joining us then?"

"Yeah, we'll be there." Said Utau with a smile. She wanted to get away from the palace anyway, and she's never turned down an invitation from the others, so this relieved her.

"Wait for us in the carriage, and call Musashi to take us there. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Said Ikuto "He's been locked up here so long now anyway."

"Alright. See you both there." Said Tadase.

Kairi bowed slightly and so did Lulu, before they shut the door and once again left Ikuto and Utau alone. Utau got up from her seat and smiled slightly. "I'll talk to Kukai about it okay?"

"Just make sure you two find a way out of this." Said Ikuto with a sigh.

"We will. I'm sure we will. We've all been through this kind of stress before." Said Utau. "We can do it all again."

Ikuto smiled slightly "Alright. Come on, let's get going. Tadase and the others are waiting."

Utau smirked and said "You say that, but in reality, you just want to see Amu."

"That, may also be a reason." Said Ikuto playing along a little. _"At least…"_ he thought _"She isn't in a slump anymore."_ As they soon both walked out the door and headed over to meet Tadase and the others.

**Meanwhile…**

Tsukasa walked around the palace halls and into the front gates. There, he happened to catch a glimpse of a carriage just leaving the palace. He smiled to himself and muttered "Well, it looks like they're off for today again…" and then he chuckled "I wonder if I could go and join them some time soon…"

As he continued to walk around the palace, he soon stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened. "What in the world?" he muttered.

Just a few feet away from him were majority the kingdom officials and kingdom leaders. Usually, they would ask the king and queen to meet up with them in other places, like the royal court, if needed to discus important matters, but they very seldom come to the palace itself.

"What are they all doing here?" Tsukasa asked. Almost all the kingdom leaders were there and Tsukasa did not like this atmosphere.

As he watched the kingdom leaders, who did not seem to notice his presence, walk away to another direction, he began to wonder what all this was about. Soon though, he was met by Aruto's voice right behind him.

"Tsukasa, you seem rather worried." He turned and saw king Aruto and Queen Souko there standing behind him.

"My, it seems that you caught me by surprise Aruto." Said Tsukasa with a small smile.

"It would seem so." Agreed Aruto with a nod, but his expression did not change.

"Maybe I should be the one asking you what seems to be so troubling…" stated Tsukasa "You dot look too well yourself my friend."

"I would rather not dwell on such thoughts." Said Aruto.

Souko then interrupted "What then brings you here Tsukasa?" she asked "And you do seem rather worried."

"I'm fine. But thank you for your concern." Said Tsukasa.

"I doubt that." Said Souko with a small caring smile "You know we can hear you out."

"Ah, you're as sharp as always." Said Tsukasa, then his smile faded and it was replaced with a look of worry "If I may just ask…"

"Go ahead." Said Souko.

"Why on earth are the kingdom leaders here at the palace at the moment? Did something happen that I do not know about?" asked Tsukasa.

Aruto and Souko looked at each other and then at Tsukasa. Then Aruto let out a sigh. "I guess you have seen them then?" he asked.

"Yes, they're not so hard to miss actually." Said Tsukasa.

"Well, before we answer anything, are the children here?" asked Aruto.

"No, fortunately." Tsukasa was rather grateful that they left "I saw the carriage leave just a while ago. You just missed them."

"That's a good thing." Said Aruto.

"Why is that?" asked Tsukasa. He did not like where this conversation was heading.

"They say they all came here to speak to the children and to have a word with them." Said Aruto "I don't know what it is they have in mind, but I'd rather not have my children placed in such a tight spot again."

"…" Tsukasa remained silent and continued to listen to what they had to say. He started to think of all the possibilities on what the kingdom leaders could want.

"I worry for them Tsukasa, that's why I'm happy that they just left." Said Souko.

"Did they plan to meet with Ikuto and Utau alone?" asked Tsukasa.

"No, we were requested to be there with them." Said Aruto as he shook his head.

"I see. Then there must be something bigger at hand." Said Tsukasa.

"Whatever the problem may be, I want to talk to them about it and settle the problem as soon as possible." Said Aruto "And if I can, I will do everything in my power not to involve my children."

"That would be the best solution for now…" stated Tsukasa in agreement but then he muttered silent to himself "But…for how long can you hide then Aruto?"

"Well we have to take our leave now Tsukasa." Said Aruto with a nod "I apologize for disturbing you."

"No, not at all." Said Tsukasa "I suppose you'll be meeting with them now?" he asked.

"Yes. It seems to be an unavoidable case." Said Aruto "We must not keep them waiting or their patience might ware off."

"Alright. I understand." Said Tsukasa. "I will see you both later."

"Of course. We can resume our talk then." Said Souko. She gave him a hug before leaving and walking away with her husband to meet the kingdom leaders.

Tsukasa watched the couple disappear and he was once again alone. He sighed and spoke silently to himself "I do hope that they come home later than usual. As long as the kingdom leaders are here when they come home…havoc is sure to ensue…" And with that, he slowly walked away, contemplating things and wishing for nothing but the best…

**In The Hinamori Mansion**

Utau and the others arrived in the Hinamori Mansion along with some of the others, such as Yaya, Temari and Rhythm. They were glad to see Temari and Rhythm there since it's been a while since they've sowed themselves. Of course, Kairi was happy to see Yaya there too, they haven't spent that much time together ever since Kairi had to help his sister with work.

As they entered the mansion, it was no surprise that they were all told to meet up at the garden after Dia had opened the door for them. The garden had become their own personal hide-away, and no one ever complained.

"Things must be difficult for you right now Utau-chan." Stated Miki.

"Not really." Stated Utau with a shrug "It's just so annoying now."

Kukai sighed and placed an arm around her shoulder. "This isn't going to go well if they're going to keep butting in our lives you know."

"But that's just not a good enough reason to stop them from doing what they want. At least, for them, it isn't a good enough reason." Stated Lulu "Trust me, I know."

Utau saw the worried look in Kukai's face and she spoke "I'll do everything I can to make this work. I hate what they're doing and I am not going to let them take control of me."

"Well said." Said Ikuto "Now if only we could do something bout that." He said in a "matter-of-factly" tone.

"Oh just keep quiet. You're not the one in the tough spot right now so please don't comment." Said Utau with a sigh.

"I might not be in the tight spot now, but I was in it way before you were. Or did you forget?" asked Ikuto in a knowing tone.

"Okay, enough." Said Temari "We are not having an argument right now."

"She's right. That's not going to solve anything." Agreed Rhythm. "Besides, nothing big has happened yet, so don't fight over it right now."

"How bad are things right now anyway?" asked Rima as she took a sip from her tea and as Su served them.

"Not that bad, at least not yet." Stated Utau.

"But it sure is getting there." Said Ikuto as he shook his head.

"Then we just have to make sure it doesn't get there." Said Daichi with a grin.

"But that's just not as easy as it seems to be." Said Dia as she shook her head slowly.

"I know, but we can't use that as an excuse to just give it up and let them do what they want." Said Daichi in his defense. "I mean, they don't have the right to discriminate Kukai like that."

"…" Kukai stayed silent and sighed before he spoke "So that's what this is all about?"

"Huh?" asked Daichi confused. "What are you talking about?"

Kukai shook his head and sighed "Come on, I'm okay. We'll just let everything go on as they want for now. It's not like they're trying to kill me or anything."

"Yeah, but they are finding ways to get rid of you. Or did you forget that part?" asked Ikuto knowingly.

"I know, but what's the worst thing that could possibly happen right?" asked Kukai.

"Don't say stuff like that." Said Lulu "It might actually come true you know."

"She's right." Stated Miki with a nod.

"As long as nothing bad has happened lately, then there's nothing to worry about." Said Temari.

"Well…" Kukai started and everybody suddenly turned their heads to look at him.

"Please don't tell me something actually did happen…" said Rhythm with a sigh. Somehow, he didn't like this at all.

"Not really, it all depends on how you guys look at it." Said Kukai "I mean, it's nothing new."

"Tell us then." Said Ran, eager to know what was happening.

"Well, I kinda bumped into Kenta the other day…" said Kukai.

"In the markets again?" asked Temari.

"Not quite, but somewhere in town." Said Kukai "And since he was looking really lost, I wanted to help the guy out."

"He didn't do anything did he?" asked Utau eyeing him. She believed that Kenta was actually a good guy, or at least, better than his brother Hiro was.

"No. As a matter of fact, he just walked out on me." Said Kukai with a shrug. "I was a bit hurt though, he's kinda nice when you get to know him."

"What happened~desu?" asked Su.

"Well, at the end of the day, he well…accidentally found out that I wasn't a "prince"." Said Kukai with a sigh "Not like I was hiding it, everybody here knows right? But I guess it caught the guy by surprise so I don't necessarily blame him."

"Well, that's not…so bad…is it?" asked Ran as she looked at the others.

"And when were you planning to tell me this?" asked Utau a bit hurt that Kukai was actually keeping something from her.

Kukai saw through her, as always, and smiled warmly before reaching out to touch her hand. "Utau, this wasn't a matter of life and death for me. I didn't think that it mattered so much. With the whole kingdom knowing, I thought he would know when he actually got here."

"…" Utau said nothing, but let out a sigh.

"I know what you've been going through, and I didn't want to make it harder for you. So, I'm sorry if I hurt you okay? I never meant to." Said Kukai honestly.

She looked at him and saw that he seriously did mean well. She smiled softly and spoke "Fine, but try as you might, don't hide anything from me again."

"I won't. I wouldn't hide anything if I knew it was going to cause a ruckus." Said Kukai.

"I know you wouldn't." said Utau with a smile as she held his hand with her own.

"Okay…" started Ikuto "As much as I don't want to interrupt your moment…"

"Yes Ikuto?" asked Utau with a vein popping out of her head.

"Looks like Kairi has something he wants to say." Said Ikuto.

They all turned their heads to Kairi and he seemed to be spacing out at the moment. "Kairi?" asked Yaya. "You okay?"

Kairi looked like he wasn't paying any attention at all. His hands were balled into fists and he seemed angry, but he wasn't saying anything. The others looked at him confused, and it took a while before he realized that Yaya was actually asking him a question.

"Hm?" he asked as he looked at the others.

"You've been out of it for a while now." Said Amu "You sure you're alright?" she asked.

"Just a thought that I happened to remember." Said Kairi with a sigh "Not a good one at that…"

"What's going on?" asked Miki.

"Yeah, you looked really pissed." Said Daichi.

"I happen to remember what I saw in my sister's schedule today." Said Kairi.

"And I take it's something you didn't like?" asked Utau knowingly. It was a wonder that someone as young as Kairi could actually have access to his sister's records, but she had to admit, he was mostly more responsible than his sister anyway.

"Not one bit. As I remember, there was a scheduled meeting today between the king and queen, and the other kingdom leaders." Said Kairi.

"Isn't that normal though?" asked Tadase "So I take it that they'll be going to the royal courts to see the other leaders?"

"See, that's exactly what I found most strange." Said Kairi. He paused for a while and seemed to be pondering on something before he continued "The meeting was not scheduled to be located in the royal courts at all. Mainly, it was to be held in the main Palace."

This made all the royals and nobles present freeze. They knew too well that the kingdom's leaders never visited the palace directly unless it was something of great urgency. They usually just send letters and speakers to announce some kind of meeting and to meet in the royal courts.

"W-Why would they possibly show up here?" asked Utau. She shuddered at the thought of their home being _infested_ by such irritating people.

Kairi shook his head "Apparently, no one knows. Not even Yuu or my sister knew."

"Even Tsukasa-san?" asked Lulu.

"Apparently so." Said Kairi "As a matter of fact, I don't think he is to be included in the meeting at all."

"Then why in the world are they here?" asked Ikuto.

"No one seems to know, but I don't like the idea." Said Kairi.

"Usually, that's not a good sign." Said Lulu with a sigh. "They just don't know how to keep to themselves."

"What are you guys planning to do~nya?" asked Yoru as he looked from Ikuto to Utau.

"…" None of them replied. Maybe because none of them really knew what to do at the moment, and it was just too much of a shock.

"Is it really that bad?" asked Rima "I mean, what's the difference where it's held, at the end of the day, they still had a meeting, end of story."

"You don't understand." Said Lulu "It's not the same, the venue makes a huge difference."

"What makes it so different?" asked Ran

"If the meeting is held in a royal court, it means to say that they're going to talk about problems with the kingdom in general or minor problems with the families and nobles." Started Utau.

"But if they go to the palace directly, that's a totally different story." Said Ikuto.

"It means they've got some heavy personal business with the main Family that's ruling the kingdom~nya." Said Yoru "And it never turns out good."

"So does that mean you guys are in trouble or something?" asked Daichi.

"Who knows." Said Ikuto "This is the first time it's ever happened to us."

"I remember when father talked about it once, he said we best not be involved with them." Said Utau.

"They're the bearer of bad news." Said Lulu. "Unless of course, all the kingdom leaders are nice then you'd have no problem, but there's always someone that's against something."

"Hey what do the kingdom leaders actually do anyway? I mean, we've got a king, so why?" asked Ran "We only listen to the king right? Who needs them?"

"That's true, but they help make the decisions." Said Utau "It's written in our laws. We have a separate head for the kingdom leaders. The only reason they're there is if they feel that the current ruling family isn't doing their job right, they have the right to take that family from their position. Of course, given they have proper evidence and all that. Their like a powerful set of…judges, or juries if you'd like to call it that." she explained

"Of course, the king always still gets the final say, unless he's proven to be guilty of a crime. Actually, with the right terms and proof, they could also take away a prince or princess's right to the throne and their royalty rights." Said Ikuto. "Especially if it's supported by law."

"Wow, they're that dangerous?" asked Ran shocked.

"You could say that." Said Ikuto with a shrug.

"So, whose the head of the kingdom leaders now?" asked Rhythm.

"Well, a friend of my dad's. His name's Hiiragi-san. I heard that he lives near the palace with his wife and daughter Rikka" said Utau.

"But, isn't he very close to Aruto-san?" asked Tadase. "Why would he have any complaints against anything?"

"That's what's been bothering me as well." Said Kairi "He didn't seem the type of person to start a fight, or an argument even."

"This doesn't feel right…" said Tadase with a sigh.

Kukai looked at the sky and saw that it wasn't as bright anymore and the sun was about to go down. Time sure flew fast when they were with their friends, but that didn't seem to be the current problem.

"Looks like the sun's going down." Said Kukai.

"Maybe we should go back to your place Ikuto." Suggested Amu "Tsukasa-san might need a hand down there."

"If things seem to be as bad as it sounds, then I agree with Amu-chan." Said Nagihiko.

"We can always clean up here." Said Rima "There's not much of a mess to begin with."

Ikuto get's to his feet and so do the rest of them. Lulu sighs and spoke "I cant believe we have to cut things short for them."

"See? They ruin things for you even if they aren't here." Said Utau with a sigh.

"Come on. No use in dawning on it now. We'll see what's going on when we get there." Said Ikuto.

"Thanks for the tea Su. It was amazing." Said Lulu with a smile.

"Thank you~desu." Said Su.

"Come back okay? We'll be waiting." Said Ran.

"Say Ikuto." Said Amu as she stopped walking for a moment and asked "Can Rima and Nagihiko come to the palace with us?"

Ikuto raised an eyebrow and asked "Tonight?"

"Yeah." Said Amu.

"Why Amu-chan?" asked Nagihiko, even he was confused about the sudden favor.

"It's just…intuition." Said Amu.

"Intuition?" asked Rima. She looked over at Nagi and he simply shrugged.

"…" Amu was quiet for a moment. In truth, she had this really deep gut feeling that something was going to happen tonight, and she was going to need Nagi and Rima there for support.

"Well, it's fine." Said Ikuto "We can just ask Musashi to take them back here. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Of course he wouldn't, it's his job to follow orders from you remember?" said Rima sarcastically.

"I didn't just mean it like that." Said Ikuto with a mock-glare and Rima just stuck her tongue out at him.

Everyone sweat dropped at this. Normally, the two of them would just get along, but they still had their moments like this. Kind of like when Nagi still pissed Rima off.

"Would that be okay?" Amu asked as she looked at her two friends.

"Sure." Rime replied with a shrug and then smiled "It's fine Amu."

"I have no problems with it." Said Nagihiko.

"Alright, enough already." Said Ikuto "Let's just go."

And so, they all walked out of the Hinamori Mansion and got inside the carriage. "Take us back to the palace Musashi." Stated Ikuto "And make it as quick as possible."

"Of course sir." Said Musashi with a nod and off they went.

**Back In The Palace **

Tsukasa was, surprisingly, invited, or rather, forced, to join the meeting with the royals. They said that they needed as many witnesses as possible. But witnesses to what? Tsukasa didn't know. Not only that, but even Yuu, Yukairi, and the two princes, Hiro and Kenta were also in the meeting. When Tsukasa arrived, it seemed that they were still talking about a certain topic at hand, but something about the current atmosphere had already been bothering him.

"Tsukasa, so glad you could make it." Tsukasa looked up and his eyes widened in shock at the speaker.

"You. What brings you here?" asked Tsukasa, and they knew he was not happy to see the said man.

"Now, now, careful with your choice of words." The man replied "Shouldn't you be giving me a warm welcome?"

"I apologize then." Said Tsukasa "But I did not expect your company."

"Well then, who did you expect?" The man asked, seemingly amused.

"The kingdom leader's head, Hiiragi-san." Tsukasa replied "And it seems to me that he isn't here today."

"Oh yes, you didn't know." The man grinned as he watched Tsukasa's facial expression "He couldn't…join us."

Tsukasa's eyes widened in shock as he heard him speak, and at that moment, he confirmed that something was terribly wrong with this situation.

Meanwhile, Utau and the rest had just arrived from the palace at that same moment. They hurriedly got out of the carriage and looked around the palace area. No one was there, and there was just dead air everywhere.

"Looks like no one's here." Said Kukai as he scanned their surroundings "No guards either, that's new."

"Something isn't right about this set-up." Said Rima, she found it way too quiet for her liking.

"Seems like something really is wrong." Said Lulu "We better go to the throne room and see what's going on."

"And we better hurry too." Said Nagihiko.

With that placed in agreement, they all went for the throne room as fast as they could. They found it even odder when no one was in the halls of the palace either. The place was soundless, save for their footsteps and breathing, but other than that, nothing else was heard. As they got closer, they could hear people chattering inside, and they knew that their unwanted company was still there.

"Looks like they're still inside." Said Utau "And I thought that they could have left by now."

"Same here." Said Ikuto "But looks like they really want some kind of argument to break loose."

"Well, there's no use in just standing here." Said Nagihiko.

"True, we have to go inside either way, so what are we waiting for?" said Rima, but it didn't hide the fact that she was nervous as well.

As they opened the doors, shock was then written in their faces. Everyone was there. From the kingdom leaders, all the way to Yuu and Yukairi. They've never experienced themselves having a meeting this big. What shocked them even more was the presence of Kenta and Hiro.

Amu felt a shiver run down her spine as she saw Hiro flash a smile at her and from the corner of her eye, she saw Ikuto clench his fist at the sight of him. Kukai wasn't so happy in seeing Kenta either, and neither was Utau. For some reason, their presence just seemed so wrong at the moment.

"Well, look at who's arrived." Utau and Ikuto's eyes widened at the sight of the speaker. He was the same man who spoke to Tsukasa, and he seemed to be leading the meeting.

"What are you doing her?" Utau asked, he tone darker than usual. Kukai noticed this and immediately placed an arm around her shoulder.

"Now, Utau-chan, is that any way to speak to your uncle?" The said man, Hoshina Kazumi, said with a smirk.

"Uncle?" Amu, Rima, Nagi and Kukai had spoken in unison and shock.

"Ah yes, the peasants." Kazumi stated as he addressed them.

"Don't call them that!" said Utau, she was beyond her normal anger stage.

"Hm, anyway, I wanted to discuss this with you personally as well." Said Kazumi.

"What are you doing here anyway?" asked Ikuto, he was better in maintaining his composure, but on the inside, he wasn't any happier. "Isnt Hiiragi-san supposed to be here?"

"Ah yes, again with that question. He can't join us at the moment, see he got…demoted, if you will." Kazumi grinned in satisfaction as he saw the looks of the two in front of him "And yes, I'll be taking over his place."

"Y-you're joking…" Utau stated.

"No, he's quite serious." Said Hiro as he suddenly spoke.

"Excuse me? And who asked you?" asked Utau rather angrily.

"We have matters that have to be discussed." Said Hiro with a smile "And since you are involved, you might as well know."

"And what matters are there?" asked Utau.

"There are two actually." Kazumi stated, taking over once more.

"Which would be?" asked Ikuto.

"To start, one would be the rescheduling of your wedding with Hinamori-san." Said Kazumi.

"What?" asked Amu in shock "Wait a minute, we weren't informed of this."

"She's right, and I don't recall having agreed with it either." Aruto suddenly spoke in Amu's defense.

"Ah yes, but that matter would be thoroughly discussed later." Said Kazumi. "Now, on the further matters…"

"Just what are you up to?" Ikuto muttered to himself.

"Now there is another thing I would like to bring upon us…" Kazumi stated once again.

"And what's that?" asked Kukai silently, he had a bad feeling about this.

"The engagement of Utau-hime to Kenta Terashima." And at that moment, time just stopped.

Kukai didn't know if he just heard right, and as he looked at Kenta, he wanted to punch the lights out of him, but even Kenta was looking at the floor. Utau froze at the spot and so did everyone else. Ikuto looked at his sister and sighed, and he thought his problem was bad enough.

In the end, Utau's voice was heard, and she only uttered one word "W-what?" and only Kukai was sharp enough to hear her voice breaking and trembling as she spoke…

**Authors Note: There you go guys. Another chapter done. I'll try to update faster now since schools over and I got my rest. Thanks again and please Review if you can. : )))). **


	7. No Turning Back

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara**

**-Hey there everyone! I'm back…again! I've been gone a while again, I'm sorry. I just needed some time to catch up with my friends since I'll probably see them a whole lot less with college coming up, and I'm a bit nervous too :)))) And not all of us are the same age, most are younger actually… :))))**

**-Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, and still, ideas are welcome. Please tell me what you think of this chapter too if you could :))))) Thanks again!**

**-Here's the next chapter, a clearer explanation on what happened in Chapter 6. Thanks again and please do review and tell me what you think :)))) Next chapter will be posted soon! **

**-On with the story!**

**No Turning Back**

The room was silent, and no one dared to say a word. Saying that everyone who seemed to have recently heard the news was shocked was clearly the biggest understatement of the year. Even the king and queen, who seemed calm when they all entered, were now staring wide-eyed at their current company. But, among all of these people, Kukai and Utau were baffled by the news the most.

"W-what did you say?" Utau asked again, her voice slowly rising from her normal tone.

"As I mentioned, you're engagement to Kenta Tera-…" As Kazumi was repeating himself, Utau had just about enough.

"I know that! What I want you to tell me is why, and how you managed to pull some kind of stunt like that!" Utau retorted, she was clearly not in the mood for people beating around the bush. She glared at Kazumi and then at Kenta. "How could you possibly have said yes to this? My goodness! You knew! You knew I was engaged!"

"I…" Kenta wanted to say something after seeing the look of hurt, betrayal, and anger in her eyes, but nothing came out.

Kukai looked at her for a while and let her have her moment of outburst, and then when she had stopped, he paved both hands on her shoulders and spoke softly "Utau, stop, nothings going to happen if you yell…"

She turned to him and asked, her tone still showing she was angry "You're okay with this? How could you be so calm about the situation?"

Kukai shook his head and replied "Trust me, I'm not. It's just…let's have a little bit more composure okay?" he told her softly.

Utau took a breath and nodded, and then faced the others again. "Explain. Now."

Two words were all it took and the conversation began again. Kazumi smiled and said "It's good to have you with us again, Hime-sama."

"Stop. I asked for an explanation, and if you don't have one, then I'll just leave. You're simply wasting our time here." Utau replied coldly.

"Of course. An explanation it is then." Said Kazumi "Where do you want me to start?"

"I don't think we care." Kukai shot him a glare and continued "Start wherever you want, it doesn't matter, but you better have a good reason for this."

"Oh, a commoner is threatening me, how…frightening." Mocked Kazumi with a light chuckle.

"Would you just give her your explanation already?" Rima burst out, not able to control her anger any longer.

"Rima-chan, please stay clam." Nagihiko stated as he held her back. Now he had a pretty clear idea of why Amu wanted them to come along.

"Well, to begin with, this…commoner…" he started, gesturing to Kukai "was never fit to wed the princes…."

"As much as I remember, our family had approved of that situation already." Countered Ikuto "What right do you have to deny it?"

"Ah yes, see, we do want what is best for our future kings and queens, so we tend to…help, with their decisions." Said Kazumi.

"Help? All you've ever done was cause trouble. How's that helping anyone?" asked Rima angrily.

"Well, maybe the wedding wouldn't have been a problem, but…surprises do occur." Said Kazumi as he looked at Hiro and Kenta.

"What? They have something to do with this?" asked Kukai and he looked at Kenta and shook his head "I thought better of him…" he muttered to himself.

"Why am I not surprised." Said Ikuto as he shot Hiro a cold glance.

"You see, the Terashima's two young princes, have offered, shall we say…a proposition." Said Kazumi.

"And what proposition would that be?" asked Amu.

"Simple, you see, we think that Kenta would be more fit to wed the princess…" Utau's eyes hardened as he continued "But most, even his royal highness, seem to disagree with us."

"Then why are you still here?" asked Ikuto.

"Simple, we want to give them both…a chance." Said Kazumi. "And in the end, we'll make our final decision on who seems fit. If you all truly disagree."

"What is this? Some kind of…contest? For Utau's hand?" asked Amu, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Well, not exactly, but close enough." Said Kazumi. "Do you accept? If not, then her engagement with Kenta will stand and be on it's way."

Kukai suddenly flared up hearing this and he wasn't about to just stand there and keep his mouth shut. "She's not some kind of _prize_! Utau's a normal human being, and your agreeing with this is like saying she can just be bought by anyone!" He looked at Kenta and spoke "And _you_ agreeing with _this_ is even worse! You're no noble prince; you're a disgrace to your lineage!"

Everyone in the room was silent, and Kenta looked at Kukai wide-eyed. The king and queen couldn't help but be proud of Kukai for his courage to say something like that, but still, they kept silent.

"You're saying this because she's already with you." Hiro suddenly spoke. "Are you afraid that my brother might whisk her away from you?"

"Look." Stated Kukai "I don't know what your problem is, but get this. Weather Utau chooses me or not, is her choice and hers alone. I've no right to tell her what to do and not to do. I'll back off from her life when she wants me to, but as long as she wants me to be here, then I'll be right here got it? I'm not in this relationship to _'win'_ anything. You don't _'win'_ a person's feelings; you gain it, earn it and, if you choose to, you reciprocate it. End of story."

"…" Everyone was once again, shocked. Kukai's sudden speeches never fail to leave at least one person's mouth hanging open.

"Ah, how touching." But of course, someone always had to have the habit of ruining the moment.

They all looked over at Kazumi to see him smirking again "Now, I believe that I still owe everyone an explanation?"

"Go ahead." Motioned Ikuto "Not like we have much of a choice anyway, but can you hurry it up?"

"As you wish. Now, as I was saying, both are to be given a chance, and in the end, the kingdom shall decide on who the princess is to marry." Said Kazumi "And don't worry, your…origin, won't be a part of the judging." He states, looking directly at Kukai.

"Shouldn't Utau-chan have a say in this?" asked Nagihiko "You're forcing her into a part of something she doesn't want to be in. That's very much unfair for her, even his majesty doesn't seem to agree to your terms at all."

"Ah, but the law states that we are allowed to interfere and do what we also seem to be fit. That is exactly why we're making a proposition such as this." Said Kazumi.

"Fine." Everyone looked at Utau with shocked expressions because of her sudden agreement "I'll let you play your ploy, and your pathetic games, _but_ I will_ not_ break off my engagement with Kukai in the process. Do whatever you want, but I am still his fiancée and no one is to act contrary to that fact."

"Alright, that sounds fair enough." Said Kazumi.

"This is rather…vague isn't it? What exactly will be your basis on who to choose in the end?" asked Nagihiko.

"Ah well, that is something we will let fate decide." Said Kazumi as he looked at Kenta "After all, I think the prince deserves a chance, don't you?"

"Shouldn't you have credentials for this? Or are you just going to play along as you go? That's just low." Said Rima.

"Now, of course not. We do have our basis of things. But know this, we are giving Terashima-kun a chance, therefore, there will be no arguments coming from Souma-san if the princess so chooses to spend time with him, and vice versa of course." Said Kazumi.

"I may be a prick at times, but I'm not a manipulative jerk." Muttered Kukai.

"So, it's decided then?" asked Kazumi.

"Enough." Aruto spoke "How long are you planning to have this go on?"

"Oh long enough, up until the princess makes the proper choice." Said Kazumi.

"This is insane, I will not subject Ikuto and Utau in this kind of treatment." Said Souko.

That's when everyone was quiet again. That is, until Ikuto spoke up "Wait, what do I have to do with this? I thought this was about Utau."

"Actually, that's not all Tsukiyomi." Hiro spoke up as he walked closer to where they were standing "I have my own score to settle with you."

"Excuse me?" asked Ikuto "What the...?" he wasn't able to finish when Hiro let out a laugh.

"Yes, your surprise amuses me. But…I have but one goal…" He turned to Amu and smiled "And that is, to win this fair maiden's heart."

"Oh he did not just say that…" muttered Kukai he was starting to lose patience "First Utau and now Hinamori too?"

"_What?"_ asked Ikuto, it's as if he didn't hear right. And as for Amu, she wished she didn't hear _anything_ at the moment.

"Ah yes, Hiro-san here has seen Hinamori-san as an eligible bride." Said Kazumi.

"Yeah, but he's forgotten one thing, she's taken!" stated Rima, now she was pissed.

"Not to worry, I have no intentions to do what Kenta has decided, I'm merely proposing a challenge. There's nothing illegal with that, is there?" asked Hiro. There was nothing wrong with Ikuto and Amu's engagement that Hiro could have used against them, so he proposed this instead.

"I don't care what you do, but don't you dare do anything to hurt Amu." Stated Ikuto.

"Hurt her? That's absurd. I wouldn't dare do such a thing. But I will not lose her to you. And I will do what it is in my power to attain what I want." With that said Hiro suddenly walked out of the room.

"…" No one spoke another word.

"Enough." Stated the king "Everyone, you need your rest, we'll continue this conversation another time."

"But…" Utau was about to protest when her mother silenced her.

"Now Utau, please. We'll settle this in our own terms. You've all been involved enough. Now, please go for now." Said Souko with a small smile. She wanted to save her children and their friends, whom she's grown quite fond of, from what's been happening.

"As you wish, thank you your majesty." Kukai said with a small smile. He held Utau's hand and tugged on it lightly "Come on, we can talk when we get out of here. Besides, you need your rest too."

Utau sighed, but gave in nevertheless "Alright." And with that she followed Kukai and the others outside, who also bid their goodbyes to the king and queen.

When they got out of the Throne room, they heard murmurs of another conversation starting up. They walked along the halls and soon decided to go over to Ikuto's room. Once inside the room, everyone took a seat and a heavy sigh was heard. Utau was beside Kukai, who was still holding her hand. Amu was leaning next to Ikuto, and Rima sat beside Nagi.

"This has got to be some kind of cruel joke." Said Rima.

"Nope, from the looks of it, it's real." Said Kukai and he sighed again "And it's an absolute nightmare."

"What the heck are we supposed to do now? Play along with Kenta's game and Hiro's little challenge?" asked Rima.

"Souma-kun, you're not actually going to let him do as you please would you? I mean, Utau-chan said they could do what they wanted as long as they don't break off the engagement between the two of you, which seems to have drawn a fine line, but whose to say they won't try anything else." Said Nagihiko.

"They will try something else." Said Ikuto "Of my parents find some way to stop this, those two would probably look for an alternative."

"Kenta probably proposed all of this after the incident in the village. But…I never thought the guy would sink this low." Said Kukai.

"He's waging war against you and Utau, what's bad about this is that he's got that Kazumi on his side." Said Amu.

"Kazumi will lose somehow, but we have to stop him from getting any more ideas from those two, especially Hiro." Said Utau.

"Basically, Kenta's goal is to make sure none of the kingdom leaders see Kukai as a fit candidate for Utau, and that he's better off with her right?" asked Rima

"Yes, and as for Hiro, we have no idea what he's up to." Said Nagihiko "That's what makes him the more dangerous one among the two."

"I'll deal with him." Stated Ikuto as Amu looked at him confused. "He's not going to get away with making some kind of threat against me."

"What are we going to do? For all we know, these guys could find ways to destroy your reputation, Kukai." Said Utau as she looked at him.

Kukai smiled softly. "A reputation isn't everything. What he's doing will eventually, and hopefully, bite him back. Besides, I still have you guys, but if he tries anything on you, I'll do worse to him than what I did with Ryo back then."

"Ah, and we don't want to see that side of you again do we?" asked Nagihiko with a light amused smile.

"Anyway, we just have to be on our guard for now. We don't know what they're up to, but we can't just go looking for a fight." Said Kukai "I don't want to be the one saying this, but we have to at least play along, let them do as they wish for now."

"Then we can carefully think of the best way to go about this." Said Nagihiko. "Sounds like the most probable plan."

"We can talk to Tsukasa-san and the others for help too." Said Amu "I'm sure they'd be able to give good advice."

"That sounds good. It's nice to know that there are still people who're on our side." Said Rima.

"I'd be surprised if there weren't." said Utau. "Not everyone here is manipulative as you may think."

"I just hope your parents can help us find a way out of this." Said Kukai. "I don't want to deal with this kind of thing right now, especially after just a few months of last time's incident."

"So true, some would think that we'd actually get some kind of break after that." Said Nagihiko with a sigh.

"We did. It just didn't last so long." Said Amu.

The room was silent for another moment, when a sudden knock on the door was heard. Ikuto called in "Who is it?" but whoever the person was just opened the door before even giving some kind of response. They all turned their heads to see that it was Kairi and Tadase that had entered the room.

"Kairi, Tadase, what brings you here?" asked Utau. She remembered that not everyone left the room after they did, except for Hiro and a few others, some of them still stayed.

"We came to see how you were all taking the news." Said Kairi and then he smiled a sad smile "I apologize for not saying anything earlier, I feared that he would target my sister's job if I said something offensive. I was in no place to say anything, I apologize."

"Aw, it's not your fault Kairi." Said Amu with a small smile "You were worried, and who knows what that cruel manipulator could have done to you guys."

"Still, all of us were there, and we wished we could have said something." Said Tadase with a sigh "Even Tsukasa-san sends his greatest apologies."

"It's fine. No one here is at fault of what happened." Said Utau and then she asked "By the way, how did everything go after we left?"

"The kingdom leaders left with Kazumi soon after you did. They say that the topic isn't to be pushed further. For all we know, the rest of us were probably called in there just to be witnesses to the…agreement." Said Tadase, even though he knew that it wasn't much of an agreement as it was a threat to them all.

"Was anyone able to make some kind of compromise with him?" asked Ikuto. "Something tells me that even Otou-san and Okaa-san weren't able to do anything."

"Well, no they weren't. But they say they'll continue to think of ways to solve this." Said Tadase "And hopefully they can do it soon."

"Ah…" Everyone turned to look at Kairi knowing that he had something to say. "Gomen, it's just that I remembered, the guest rooms were prepared for all of you."

"Oh? We're staying?" asked Nagihiko as he looked over at a confused Amu, and an even more confused Rima.

"I don't know if you've all noticed, but it's rather dark out already. Going back at this hour would still be dangerous. His majesty asked for people to arrange the rooms for you." Said Kairi.

"So…looks like we are staying." Said Rima.

"We've arranged rooms that are very close to Amu-chan's room so you wont have much trouble looking for it." Said Tadase.

"Thanks Tadase, much appreciated." Said Kukai with a smile.

"Not a problem at all, it's the least we could do." Said Tadase "And Souma-kun, do think things through before doing anything, please."

Kukai shrugged and smiled again "Don't I always?"

"Anyway, we'll be taking our leave now. We again apologize for keeping you here, and for what had happened. Tsukasa-san would like to speak with you some time tomorrow if you don't mind." Said Kairi

"Of course, we do need all the help we can get at the moment." Said Nagihiko.

"I'll inform him about it. Thank you for your understanding." And with that said, Kairi bowed and left the room, with Tadase close behind him.

"Well, no use in staying here and dawning about things forever. I'm sure the others would understand if we explain things to them tomorrow." Said Nagihiko.

"Plus, it'd be better for us to go get some sleep too. I have a feeling we're going to need all the rest we can get." Said Rima with a sigh.

"We can meet up at the garden tomorrow, and we'll discuss things there." Said Amu with a small smile. "Can we try to wake up early? I kind of don't want to meet up with Kenta or Hiro."

"Agreed." Said Utau "I don't know if I can even look at them right now."

The others nodded and agreed on getting some sleep for the night. As much as they wanted to try and fix the problem at hand right away, they needed all the rest they could get. Kukai had offered to take Utau to her room, whilst Ikuto offered to take Amu to hers. Nagihiko and Rima went the other way.

Kukai had taken Utau to her room, and the walk had been extremely quiet. No one talked to the other, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Once they reached Utau's room, Kukai gave his usual smile, and said "Looks like it's about time we turned in."

"Yes, I guess so." Said Utau and then she gave in a sigh "I still can't believe that something like this happened."

"Well, we can't do anything about it now can we?" said Kukai "Let's just try and get some sleep."

"I'll see you tomorrow won't I?" Utau asked.

"Yeah, of course." Said Kukai "You didn't actually think I'd leave here without you did you? Especially with that guy here. I am not leaving him alone with you."

"Thank you." Said Utau with a smile, and then she gave them a long hug.

As he hugged her back, she smiled as she sank into his warm embrace and he simply held her tighter and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not leaving you...ever…" he whispered, more to himself than to her, but still, she heard.

"Don't worry." She told him "He'll never replace you."

"Thanks." Said Kukai with a small smile "But sometimes, you can't help but worry." _"Because they do have a point…" _

"There's no need to worry. I've said this before, I'm not a small child, I can take care of myself." Utau told him, confidence was evident in her voice.

They stayed in the embrace, longer than what they expected, and soon Kukai pulled away. "Come on, its getting late. You need to some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then Kukai. Goodnight." She told him.

Before he walked away and let her enter her room, he pulled her in slowly and kissed her softly. It was a simple kiss, but all his feelings were still put into it, and he made sure that she knew that. After a while, he pulled away and whispered a sweet "Goodnight, love you." And with that he slowly left her in her room with a flush on her face and a contented smile, not knowing, that beneath the shadows, someone was watching.

Meanwhile, Nagihiko took Rima to her room. When they got there Nagi let out a smile and spoke "Well, we better get some rest. It's been a long day, for everyone."

"Yeah. No wonder Amu let us come with her. Who knew something like this would turn up." Said Rima.

"Another thing that worries me about this situation is the rumors that could be spread." Said Nagihiko "Especially against Souma-kun."

"Yeah, but I think if ever anything happens, Kukai will be able to handle it." Said Rima.

"Guess we just have to hope for the best Rima-chan." Said Nagihiko with a sigh. "Well. It's best we get some sleep. Goodnight Rima-chan." He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek before walking away.

"Night Nagi…" replied Rima as she watched his disappear into darkness. She headed inside her room and was soon enough, fast asleep.

**In the Gardens **

Amu had asked for Ikuto to take her to the garden. She had insisted on going alone, saying that it wouldn't be a problem, and that she could take care of herself, but of course, there was no way Ikuto would have allowed that. He had told her that he was to accompany her and that was the only choice she had. Part of Amu had already known that he would persist and probably wouldn't stop with an answer such as "No" so she had no further complains and let him go with her.

Once they reached the gardens, Amu had persisted to stay just a little longer saying that she wasn't that sleepy anyway. "And besides, you can go to sleep if you're really that tired Ikuto." She told him.

"No, I'm not letting you stay here alone." Ikuto replied.

"If that's what you want…" She said with a sigh.

Ikuto was hugging Amu from behind and the two of them were just standing there, enjoying the others' company. Sadly, not everything could stay that way forever. They were suddenly interrupted by footsteps approaching, that caused both parties to turn around, and Ikuto to let go of Amu.

"Good evening to the both of you." It was Hiro and he had that devious smile of his plastered on his pretty face.

"Hiro…!" hissed Ikuto. He didn't like the guy, and seeing him was not a good sign.

"Hiro-san. What…brings you here?" she asked, and she just wished that he would leave them alone.

"Oh me? None whatsoever. I just decided to take a little stroll. That is all." He said.

"And wind up here?" asked Ikuto suspiciously "Don't you think that's…a bit too much of a coincidence?"

"Now. Now." Said Hiro raising his hands up in defense. "I didn't come here to raise some kind of argument between us."

"Then why _are_ you here?" asked Amu "I'm sorry Hiro-san, but I'm not the least bit happy with what you and your brother did, so please. Haven't you created enough damage as it is?"

"I'm pained to hear that." Said Hiro "What I did was something I felt was…necessary, for my brother's sake, as it was for my own."

"How in the world is this a necessity?" asked Ikuto. "Aside from the fact that you're not making any sense at all, this is just insane."

"You wouldn't understand." Said Hiro, his tone suddenly changing into something colder, darker. "None of you would."

"…" Amu and Ikuto stayed silent for a moment before Amu had the chance and had found her voice to speak once more. "What…what exactly is it that you want?"

"That's simple, it's you." Said Hiro.

"And how about 'that's not going to happen.'" Stated Ikuto with a glare.

"Of course, I knew you wouldn't just give up Tsukiyomi, but I'm not the kind to just leave and cry someplace else." Said Hiro confidently "I'm not going to lose her to someone like you."

"You think I'm going to just sit back here and watch? No thanks." Said Ikuto "I don't know what you're up to, but can you stop making those threats against me? I think you're forgetting whose territory your stepping on right now."

"Ikuto!" Amu wanted to stop him from getting angry, even if she herself was starting to get angry, she didn't want a fight interrupting in the middle of the night.

"And I think you're forgetting that I do have the kingdom leaders on my side." Said Hiro with a smirk. "I'm afraid that getting rid of me will be harder than you think."

Ikuto stayed silent and Hiro just continued to grin "Don't worry though, I'll leave as soon as I accomplished my goal."

"Stop it!" Amu took a few steps forward and spoke again "Please, just stop. I don't want to hear any more of it."

"I apologize…" stated Hiro, his tone changed again, and this time to a much kinder, understanding one. "I didn't mean for my words to upset you."

"Please, just go." Said Amu "I don't want to talk about this further."

"I understand. I apologize." And before Hiro walked away, he looked at Ikuto again and spoke "This isn't the end. It's just begun."

"Oh don't worry, I'll be watching." Said Ikuto in a low whisper as he watched Hiro completely disappear into the shadows.

Once they were left alone again, Ikuto looked at Amu and noticed that her hands were balled into fists. He took hold of her hand and asked "You alright?"

"Should I be?" she asked him in return. "When's he going to stop Ikuto?"

"He won't. That's the unfortunate part. But hey, no one's going to let him get away with it." Said Ikuto. "You'll be fine."

"I know that we will get through this, but at what cost will that put everyone?" asked Amu as she stared towards the direction that Hiro had just wandered off to.

"Honestly, I don't know. I think the others probably feel the same way, especially that Souma kid." Said Ikuto "He's going to have a lot to deal with…"

"I just hope that they don't try anything that would hurt anyone." Said Amu.

"Don't worry, they still need to be cautious with whatever it is they're planning to do. They do have a reputation they need to keep after all." Said Ikuto, but he knew that Hiro would still look for ways to snake out of these situations, he just hoped it wouldn't be that bad.

Things seem to have taken a turn for the worst. Not knowing what their company may do and what may happen, things seem to become a complicated mystery to everyone. Unknown to all of them, the Terashima brothers were discussing their own view of the situation at hand.

Kenta was inside his room, drowning himself with his own personal thoughts when Hiro suddenly came in. He looked over at his brother who seemed to be, once again, upset.

"Something the matter?" asked Kenta, it was evident in his voice that he was in no mood to tolerate any more bad news, but he still dared to ask.

"Tsk, Tsukiyomi is getting in the way." Said Hiro "I got her angry."

Kenta raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Hinamori-san? Mad at you?"

"Yes. She became quite upset when I met with her a few minutes ago." Said Hiro "She's being around him too much."

"Hiro-niisan, don't you think that should be the case? He is, after all, her fiancée." Said Kenta knowingly.

"And that is exactly why we have to stop this madness, this engagement." Said Hiro, and then he smiled "Not to worry though. It has only just begun, the war is just starting."

"Hiro-nii…." Kenta sighed and asked "Do we….must we really put ourselves in this situation?"

"Must we? Why are you asking such things? We've already talked about this Kenta." Hiro stated with a sigh. And then he asked his brother "Is something bothering you? Something you want to share with me?"

"It's just…" Kenta paused for a minute, contemplating on weather he should come out and say it or not, then he finally spoke "I just can't seem to do this right. It…it doesn't feel right at all." He said the last part softly, it was barely audible.

"What?" asked Hiro surprised. "What's gotten into you, you do want Utau-hime to feel the same way about you as you do to her…do you not?"

"Well yes…but to go this far…." Kenta's head was suddenly filled with thoughts, thoughts of things he didn't want to remember…

"_What are you doing in a place like this?"_ The **first time** he saw Kukai in town…

"_Hey, if you've got nowhere to go, why not come with me?"_ He was offered a **tour**, an **escort**…

"_Kenta, I'm going to teach you how to live! Come on! And no, I'm not grabbing your hand, so you better know how to keep up."_ But it was almost like….he made a **friend**….

But in the end… _"And __**you **__agreeing with __**this**__ is even worse! You're no noble prince; you're a disgrace to your lineage!"_ Kukai, who somewhat trusted him…he **betrayed.**

As the thoughts loomed through his head, he couldn't stop the guilt that he felt. He knew he was doing this because of his feelings, but it just felt so wrong….

"Kenta!" Hiro snapped out of his thoughts and looked at him seriously. "You have to focus, stop thinking about Souma. He'll just confuse you, and in the end, you'll amount to nothing."

"Yes…I know." He replied. "But…she loves him…not me…"

"That's why you have to _make_ her see things clearly." Said Hiro "Kenta you're a _prince_, he's nothing but a mere commoner! He's got no chance against you. And with Kazumi's help, we won't fail."

"…" Kenta stayed silent and then simply nodded.

"You know what has to be done. We have to show them, what our place truly is." Said Hiro with a small smirk.

"I…understand." Said Kenta giving in, although he knew, his heart wasn't fully into it.

"It begins now, and you have to remember, from this day…there will be no turning back. We will succeed." Hiro told his brother. "And don't worry Kenta, she'll see it your way."

"Do you…really think so? She wont even look at me." Said Kenta with a sigh.

"She will. She's simply too blinded, her head shrouded by Souma's so called 'love' when you know you can give her everything he cant." Said Hiro "All will be to your advantage."

"Let's…hope so…" said Kenta "Well, there's just no turning back now, is there?"

"No, everything…has just started." Said Hiro and he chuckled lightly to himself, drowning in his thoughts and plans for the coming days…

On the other hand, Kenta continues to wonder about his mixed thoughts on what's happened. As his brother said, everything has just begun, and now that he's agreed, there will really be, no turning back….

**Authors Note: Here it is everyone! I hope you enjoyed it, please Review and tell me what you think. Next chapter will be up soon. Thank you everyone! :D**


	8. This Means War

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara. **

**-Hey everyone. I'm back. Simce last Monday, I was officially, a college girl. Haha. And it's been fun yet tough at the same time. Sorry I wasn't able to update sooner, but now I'll have to juggle studies, my orgs, and my stories. But I don't have any intention of stopping since I enjoy writing : )**

**-Okay guys, I've had some suggestions since the last chapter and I'm thinking about it. I'll try to fill in everyone's requests, so if you guys have any idea, feel free to tell me. **

**-Now, enough about that. Please Review and tell me what you think. Oh and this is more on a Kutau and Amuto chapter, but hopefully ALL COUPLES WILL BE FEATURED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. Hopefully I can get them all. I'm planning a mix of almost all couples in the next chap. but you guys can tell me which ones you want to be highlighted the most so I can make their parts longer :)))**

**-Once again, thanks everyone, and I hope you guys are still reading this : ) Now, On with the story! Enjoy guys!**

**This Means War**

The following day, Amu and the rest of them, wole up as early as possible. After what had happened the other night, they refused to make contact with the Tereshima siblings at the moment. They asked for Musashi to quickly take them to the Hinamori Mansion, and for the rest of the palace workers to stay silent on where they could have gone. Fortunately, they were able to avoid any run-ins with either Kenta, or Hiro and they wouldn't want it any other way.

The ride to the mansion was quiet and no one really knew what to say. Each was occupied with their own thoughts, especially Kukai and Amu. Kukai was unexceptiomally quiet, and that's saying something, since he's never been this quiet in front of friends. Amu on the other hand didn't even make retorts to most of Ikuto's comments and teases about her, which was odd for him to see.

"…." Kukai had a lot to think about, and as much as he hated to admit it, there was a small part of him that believed Utau would be better off with Kenta. "He can offer him things that I can't, not that it's been an issue, but that fact alone can be used againts me…"

"…kai…ukai…KUKAI!" Rima yelled.

"Huh?" Kukai turned to his friend and and asked "Oh, what's wrong?"

Nagihiko sighed "Rima-chan's been trying to call you for a while now Souma-kun. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Stated Kukai and then he mumbled something that sounded like "Just peachy…"

Utau knew that something was wrong, no something was terribly wrong, with Kukai. He was never this quiet unless he was hiding something. She wanted to ask, but she knew that they were not in the right place and it wasn't the right time to do so. She decided to ask him more about it, maybe if they get a chance to be alone.

"Hey look everyone, we're here." Stated Amu with a small smile, her normal enthusiasm had vanished from her usual tone and voice.

"Well, shall we get going?" asked Tadase. He, along with Kairi, Yoru and Lulu had decided to tag along for the trip, since none of them wanted to stay alone with the two brothers in the palace either.

All of them got down from the carriage, one at a time, and when all of them were out, Ikuto had told Musashi to come back at a certain time to take them all back to the palace. "Thank you for your services Musashi, it's much appreciated."

"Most welcome your highness." Said Musashi with a smile "Do have a good day everyone." He turned to the others, bowed, got up on his carriage, and set off.

Once Musashi was out of sight, Amu got her keys to the mansion and opened the front door. Dia had decided to give Amu her own keys, since it was her home to begin with, and one key would stay with Dia, just in case they went to visit the palace.

When they got inside, Miki was there with Ran doing some cleaning around the house. Both stopped when they saw their friends enter the mansion. "Amu-chan!" Ran went over and gave Amu a hug.

"Hey there Ran!" said Au with a smile.

"Welcome back everyone!" said Miki, as she approached them and no one failed to notice when she gave Yoru a hug.

"What are you all doing here?" asked Ran. "No duties today?" she looked over Ikuto, Utau and the other nobles.

"…." Utau didn't say anything, and just kept silent.

"Not really." Was Ikuto's only answer.

With that said, they knew something was definitely wrong. Everyone was acting so strange and weird, and not in a good way. "Uhm, so Daichi and the others are in the gardens. Yaya's here too."

No one said much, and Amu was the only one trying to make a decent conversation, even Kukai was quiet. "Just lead the way Ran." Said Amu with a small smile.

"Okay. Just follow me everyone." They all knew their way around, but no one was saying anything so they just went with it.

Once they had arrived in the garden, everyone was shocked to see them. Dia was overjoyed to see her friends home, and Daichi had many questions as to why his brother looked so gloomy in the morning.

"Hey there everyone." Said Daichi. "Glad to have you back Kukai!" he said with a smile.

"Yeah…nice to be back." Kukai replied, slightly smiling for the first time that day.

"You okay?" asked Daichi, he knew something didn't feel right.

"I'm fine Daichi, you worry too much." Kukai said as he patted his brother's back, some of his enthusiasm coming back to him.

"If you say so man…" He dropped the topic but knew he wasn't getting the full story.

"So, you guys have to tell us why you didn't come back home last night. Yaya was shocked when she didn't see you here earlier Amu-chii." Said Yaya.

"Oh, that…" said Amu "Well, why don't we talk about it over a cup of tea. Can you go and make us some Su?"

"Sure Amu-chan, just wait a moment~desu." Said Su with a smile as she went to the kitchen.

While waiting for Su, everyone seated themselves at the table in the garden, and waited for the tea to arrive. A few moments later, Su arrived with a pot of tea and cups for everyone to use, along with some of her homemade snacks. She poured everyone a cup and found herself a seat on the table.

"So, what exactly happened to you guys last night?" asked Ran.

"Well, we…bumped into some trouble and had to stay in the palace." Said Nagihiko with a sigh.

"Trouble? What might that be?" asked Dia, she definitely didn't want to hear this.

"Let's just say…we have to keep our guard up from now on. The kingdom leaders have…a problem with us." Said Rima.

"So it's true, when you guys said nothing good would come out of them going to the palace." Said Daichi. "How bad is it?" he asked.

"Pretty bad." Said Nagihiko

"Why do I have a pretty bad feeling about this." Said Miki with a sigh. "Tell me something, what's this all about? I don't think waiting around for an answer is a good idea. We'll get there anyway."

"Well. Seems like the princes have made a rather bold move." Said Rima, "Meaning another problem came crashing down on us."

"What in the world did they do?" asked Dia.

"Oh you know, nothing that big, they just thought that breaking off Kukai and Utau's engagement, and destroying Amu and Ikuto's would be a great idea!" Rima said sarcastically.

Their eyes widened and they heard Amu and Utau sigh while Ikuto and Kukai said nothing. "Are you serious?" asked Ran shocked.

"No, I'm just kidding." Said Rima.

Nagihiko sighed "Rima-chan, let's not take our frustrations out on our friends."

"Sorry." Apologized Rima.

"It's okay Rima-tan, but what happened? Yaya wants to know!" said Yaya.

"There's been a big complication with the palace royals as of late." Said Kairi, speaking for the first time. "And the Tereshima's sought this as an opportunity to make their move."

"Move?" asked Miki "So, they've been planning this?"

"That's what it looks like, and it seems that they've been waiting for the opportune moment to strike." Said Tadase with a sigh.

"They've been very secretive in the palace lately, no wonder they've been so weird. And I thought that they were just anti-social." Said Lulu as she shook her head.

"That doesn't seem to be the case. They've just been waiting for us to let our guard down." Said Utau. "And for some reason, we failed to see this coming."

"Maybe that's just because we trusted them to easily." Said Kukai softly. After all, even if he didn't completely trust Hiro, he did trust Kenta at some point.

"Maybe so, but it all lands to the conclusion that what they were planning got passed us. And now, we pay the consequences." Said Nagihiko.

"But still, consequences can be avoided, especially if we aren't the complete cause of it all." Said Dia "We just have to be more cautious now."

"Like we weren't cautious enough before." Said Rima.

"That didn't seem to be enough. We just have to try harder." Said Kairi. "They have the their status as a big advantage and we have to find ways to use that to our advantage as well."

"Or to just outsmart them and let them use it to their own disadvantage." Said Tadase "But to do that…"

"That would be much harder for everyone Tadase!' scolded Lulu. "We need to stay at a low profile so we don't attract so much attention!"

"She's right." Said Amu "But how?"

"…" Everyone stayed silent. No one really knew how to react. Finally, the silence was broken by Kukai as he stood up from his seat.

"I'm heading to town." Kukai stated.

"What? But Kukai, I thought we had to talk with everyone." Said Yaya.

"Sorry, but…I just need some time to think." Said Kukai. He looked over at Utau and gave her kiss on the cheek. "I'm fine, but I need some time to sort things out on my own okay? Don't worry too much."

"Be safe." Said Utau softly as she let her hand touch his cheek. "And you better be back later."

"I will. I don't get lost in town. I rarely do, close to never actually." Said Kukai with a small smile on his face. "I love you." He whispered softly to her as he touched her hand, after which he let go and walked away.

"I love you too." Utau replied, more to herself, but she knew that he heard her.

They all watched, as Kukai walked away and left. It didn't take long before his figure was out of sight, and with that Utau leaned back into her chair and began to let her own thoughts wander in her head. The others simply remained silent, even Ikuto.

"Shouldn't we follow Souma-kun?" asked Tadase as he broke the silence.

"No Tadase." Stated Ikuto. "Leave him be. He needs his time alone."

"Ikuto-kun is right." Said Nagihiko "Souma-kun needs to think about things himself."

"Utau, are you okay?" Amu asked her friend as she knew that she was down without Kukai around.

"I am." Replied Utau "Rather upset, but I don't blame Kukai for it. I just wish that he won't do anything rash."

"He won't." said Ikuto seriously "I know he won't." "_Because I know how he feels…."_ Thought Ikuto. His situation wasn't far from Kukai's so it would only be natural that he understood better than anyone how the older Souma felt.

**In Town….**

Kukai didn't take long to arrive in town, he did know his was around the area, so it wasn't a long trip. He wandered aimlessly around town, having people he knew and even some that he didn't know, greet him as they usually would as townsfolk. Kukai would often greet back at those he recognized, and smile and nod at those he didn't. He was used to all the attention ever since people found out about his engagement to Utau, it was like this in town even then, the attention just got bigger.

As he wandered around, he didn't really have a place that he was planning to go to, but surprisingly he found himself in the marketplace. He thought for a minute and then smiled.

"Who would have thought I wouldn't notice going to such a noisy place like this. My mind must've been more crowded than I thought." He mumbled to himself "I'm here, might as well go pay them a visit."

Kukai walked over to a certain corner of the marketplace and stopped at a certain spot. He smiled and then he approached a merchant and friend, Rhythm, who was busy with his daily sales. "Hey." Greeted Kukai.

Rhythm turned and saw Kukai with a small smile and he grinned "Morning my good friend, what brings you in this part of town today?"

"Nothing much." Said Kukai " Do you need any help with that?" he asked as he saw Rhythm hand one of his customers another bag of goods.

"Please come again." Rhythm bid farewell to his customer and turned to Kukai "Nope, I'm fine. Unless another bunch of them show up, then I'll need the helping hand."

"Good for you then" said Kukai as he walked closer to his friend "Business seems to be doing well."

"Ah yes, quite luck we have this year. Lots of new faces and many of my former customers always come by." Said Rhythm. "Luckily, I don't seem to have lost any loyal ones."

"That's because you have it all here Rhythm-niisan." Said Kukai. "They don't need to go anywhere else."

"You think so?" asked Rhythm "Well I always do like to come in prepared."

"Which is a good thing." Replied Kukai looking around the area this time.

"So, you never did answer me." Rhythm told him "What seems to bring you here this fine morning? Not shopping I suppose? Daichi did that a few days ago, you should be fully stocked by now."

"Nah, not that. I just…needed some time alone." Said Kukai.

"Uh oh, I know that look Souma Kukai. Something seems to be the matter." Said Rhythm knowingly "You know Temari isn't the only one who can tell about these things."

"I know. You can too." Said Kukai with a light chuckle.

"So, what's the problem?" Rhythm asked, curious now as to what Kukai's real reason was.

"Just a couple of complications." Said Kukai. And then he suddenly added "Do you think…that maybe, Utau is better off without me?"

Rhythm's eyes widened in shock "Where did this come from? And when did your own self-esteem go down the drain?"

"I was just thinking about it that's all. I'm sorry, just forget I said anything, I'm probably just over thinking things again." Kukai said with a light laugh "Just a silly thought is all."

Rhythm stayed silent for a while and then a few minutes later, he gave out a sigh and asked "Kukai, what's gotten into you? What seems to be the problem?" asked Rhythm "This isn't like you at all."

"I…I'm honestly asking myself that question too." Said Kukai. "I really don't know where I stand right now. I don't know what to think."

"And why is that?" asked Rhythm.

"Maybe because, there's already a part of me that admits it….that admits that…I've already lost." Said Kukai with a sigh.

"But that's even more unlike you." Said Rhythm seriously "You never admit defeat without fighting for it fairly. Why now?"

"Again, maybe because a part of me has already accepted the fact that I don't have a chance." Said Kukai.

"So you're just going to give up? What a disappointment Souma." Kukai and Rhythm both turned to the direction of the voice. There stood Ikuto, with a serious expression on his face.

"Ikuto-kun!" exclaimed Rhythm in surprise.

"Tsukiyomi, you followed me?" asked Kukai. His voice didn't show a hint of shock at all. As if he knew Ikuto was going to be there.

"It wasn't hard, really." Ikuto told him, walking a bit closer "I knew where you were going, and just figured out where you could end up. When I couldn't find you in your place, this was the next place I could think of."

"Hinamori didn't stop you?" asked Kukai.

"No, no one did. Not even Utau." Said Ikuto. "I left the mansion a few minutes after you did. I got my own way of coming here."

"So, what's your business with me?" asked Kukai.

"You know, you never fail to surprise me, or anyone else for that matter. I think this is the first time that I've been totally disappointed at you." Said Ikuto and he continued "When did you ever let social status get between you and my sister?"

"…" Kukai stayed quiet, and a part of him didn't know how to reply, because he knew Ikuto was telling the truth.

"So? Now you're just going to quit? Because some prince shows up? Come on Souma, I know you can do better than that. Or maybe, you didn't really love my sister at all." Said Ikuto with a taunting smirk.

"What?" asked Kukai, now intently paying attention.

"You heard me? Was all that talk about your love for her all show? I thought you said you'd stay by her until she told you to leave? Or was that all a lie too?" asked Ikuto.

"Why you…." Kukai was now getting angry, of course he loved Utau! What was Ikuto doing?

"What? Answer back Souma, unless it really was all a lie. Did you love her at all?" Ikuto taunted again. His smirk never leaving his face.

"Of course I did! I love Utau more than anything! How would you understand? How would you feel if you knew that someone else could be better for her? For her well being?" said Kukai.

Their argument started to attract attention form the people around them, but that didn't stop Ikuto. "Really? Then what's all this?"

"You wouldn't understand, you're a prince or did you forget." Said Kukai.

"Prince or no, how I feel about Amu is just as how you feel about Utau, and I'll do anything for Amu." Said Ikuto. "That's why I'm not giving up one her, ever."

"I've thought about that, but what if I can't do as much as he can. I can't give Utau what _he_ can, and that alone…I'm just…" Kukai clenched his fists. He felt like such a wimp, and that's something he never accepted before, he always put up a fight.

"Just a what? A commoner? Jeez, so what?" said Ikuto. "Come on think, is that all? Is that what you think Utau cares about the most? What you can offer and what you can't?"

"I just want her to be happy!" said Kukai immediately. The words just came tumbling out of his mouth.

"Isn't she already happy with you?" asked Ikuto in an obvious tone. "And besides, there's one thing Kenta can never give Utau that only you can. Think about it."

Kukai was dumbfounded by Ikuto's words, and then he watched as Ikuto began to turn and walk away. He turned back to Kukai one more time and said "I know you enough Souma, you're better than him, you just have to see that." And with that Ikuto walked away.

Once Ikuto had left, Kukai was once again left alone with Rhythm. Rhythm had watched everything that had transpired, along with the crowd that the two had attracted through their outbursts, but now that the crowd had dispersed, Rhythm was able to speak freely and as he wished without anyone listening in.

"Kukai, you okay?" asked Rhythm as he placed a hand on Kukai's shoulder.

Kukai showed him a small smile "Yeah…I just can't believe that happened. I allowed myself to get so down, that I had to get lectured by Tsukiyomi to realize what I was doing wrong…"

"Well, I don't really get what's going on, but he does have a fair point." Said Rhythm. "If you're worried about Utau-chan being taken away from you, I don't think it's much of a problem."

"I was so busy about my own thoughts, I forgot everything Utau had told me. She said she didn't care if I wasn't a noble, but I guess my thoughts dominated over that." Said Kukai. "And at some point, I think I get what he meant by the one thing only I can offer."

"Yes, that something is very special. And same goes for Ikuto-kun, he has that one thing only he can give Amu-chan." Said Rhythm with a smile.

"I feel so stupid right now…" replied Kukai honestly.

"Well, at least you can admit that." Said Rhythm with a slight laugh "But maybe. You should be apologizing to…someone else?" he suggested.

"Yeah, I should. After what I've been doing." Said Kukai. He turned to face Rhythm and spoke "Thanks. I don't know what I'd be doing without your help. I guess I owe Tsukiyomi my gratitude as well. I need to give him my thanks when I get back." Said Kukai with a smile.

"Then you better get going, don't delay anymore." Said Rhythm as he gave Kukai a pat on the back.

"Thanks." Said Kukai "Gotta go." And with that, he slowly walked away and waved goodbye to Rhythm before fully disappearing with the crowd.

"I hope everything goes well with you all Kukai…" whispered Rhythm to himself. He soon went back to work, knowing that he had a lot to tell Temari when they see each other again….

Kukai went over to their house to check if everything was going well. When he got there, he found the shop closed, but perfectly clean. He smiled to himself, and was proud that Daichi was doing such a great job keeping their home on top shape, even if he was gone.

He was about to leave when he heard a voice behind him saying "Souma…"

When Kukai turned around, he came face to face with Kenta Terashima. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Kukai spoke "What is it?"

"I…" Kenta really didn't know what to say, he didn't expect to bump into Kukai again in town, but now that he did, he wished he knew what he needed to say to him.

"I'm sorry but I have to leave." Kukai stated plainly, his voice containing less anger than he had imagined.

Kenta was shocked that Kukai wasn't yelling at him or anything of the sort, and he wondered if the Souma was angry at all. "I'm sorry." Kenta said softly.

Kukai wasn't deaf, and no matter how soft it might have been to Kenta, his words were heard. Kukai sighed and slightly turned to face his companion "Saying sorry to me won't turn back time, and it won't undo the damage that's already been done."

"I know….but still…I wanted, to apologize to you." Said Kenta.

"You know, I didn't expect you to do something like this, but it's already been done." Kukai told him. "And I just want you to know, that this isn't some kind of friendly competition for me. It's the real deal. And I do not, intend to lose Utau to you."

"I know that much as well." Said Kenta "And as you say, even I do not intend to let her slip…because, I too love her as you do."

"Do you really think so?" asked Kukai. "It took me a while to realize how I felt, and I wonder…if what you're feeling…is really love…"

Kenta's eyes widened at Kukai's words. Was this some twisted way to confuse him about his feelings? He turned away and then answered "Of course it is!"

It took a while, but when Kenta realized that no one was answering or talking back to him, he turned to see that Kukai had already disappeared. Kenta sighed as he realized that Kukai had walked away right after he asked his question. "But…what did he mean by it?" kenta muttered to himself, as he was again stranded deep within his own thoughts.

**With Ikuto…**

When Ikuto had left the marketplace, he had no destination in mind, so he simply began to wander around town. As he was walking, he heard footsteps behind him, and a voice that called his name tauntingly, and he managed to turn around and face the said voice. When he did so, there stood Hiro with a smirk on his face, looking straight at Ikuto.

"Well hello there Tsukiyomi." Said Hiro "A pleasure it is to see you here."

"Hiro…." Hissed Ikuto. The person he didn't want to see the most right now was standing right in front of him.

"Why such hatred? And it seems that you're alone today? Did Amu leave you?" Hiro mocked.

"No, she's with her friends actually, and she's lucky she didn't have to see you and your sorry face today." Ikuto told him.

Hiro clenched his fist from the insult and Ikuto just grinned at his reaction "Why? Did I hit another nerve?" asked Ikuto.

"No, and I could care less of you and whatever it is you find amusing." Said Hiro "Now, on to bigger matters, isn't there something you wish to know? Without Amu interfering with us this time."

"Interfering? Or are you just not happy about the fact that she never seems to agree with you?" asked Ikuto.

"Look, I'm not here for a fight, so if you want one, go and ask somebody else." Said Hiro, he didn't feel comfortable about hearing how Amu didn't want to see him at the moment.

"Fine, then why don't you start to fill me in on what it that you're planning." Said Ikuto "Or what you want from Amu."

"Hm, it seems that I've suddenly peaked your interest." Said Hiro with a smirk of his own "Does it bother you, that I want something from her? Or that I'm taking her away from you?"

"I don't really think that's it. I know Amu, and from the looks of it, she doesn't seem to be interested in you at all." Said Ikuto "So I don't really fear you, and I could care less about you, but I do care much about Amu. That's jthe only reason why your motives concern me."

"Is that so?" asked Hiro "Alright then, what if I told you that she's the only one who'll understand…"

"Understand what? You and your twisted ways? Is that why you're brother and you are so desperate? Or are you both just mentally demented?" asked Ikuto.

"Watch it Tsukiyomi…" threatened Hiro.

"Or what? You'll get me arrested? Are you forgetting that you're currently in my territory?" asked Ikuto confidently "From the way things look, Amu doesn't want to understand you. Especially after what you've already done to her and her friends."

"She will soon see it the way I do." Said Hiro "Amu is the only one for me. She does understand me. She understands things that people like you do not."

"People like me?" asked Ikuto "Really now? Why don't you find someone else who'll understand you? I don't know, someone who's not taken maybe?" he suggested sarcastically.

"No, it has to be her. Do you know how long I've been looking for her? No, of course you don't. No one does. But now…now that I've finally found her, I am not willing to let her slip from my grasp." Said Hiro seriously.

"And I'm not going to give you a chance to take her away from me." Said Ikuto, just as serious.

"Is that a threat Tsukiyomi?" asked Hiro.

"Threat, warning, whatever you want to take it, I don't care." Ikuto stepped forward and added "but don't you dare do anything to hurt her while you're doing whatever it is you want to do, or I will personally be the one to hunt you down."

"Ha! That's big talk for someone like you. But don't worry. I have no intention to hurt Amu, no intention at all." Then Hiro glared at Ikuto and spoke again "But I will not hesitate to harm anyone else who does dare interfere with my plans…"

"…" Ikuto simply stared at Hiro and then smiled grimly "Oh I'll try to keep that in mind. And do me a favor while you're at it. Tell your brother something for me; that Souma is not going to just give Utau up, and he better prepare himself for a fight."

"Is that you're declaration of war?" asked Hiro.

"Call it what you will, but if it's a war you want then fine. I'll play along with you, and I'm not backing down." Said Ikuto.

"And if she chooses me?" asked Hiro smugly "What will you do then?"

"Simple, I'll go. If she tells me that she's chosen you." Said Ikuto "But that's not going to happen. I care about my Amu too much to let her end up with someone like you."

"Hm, we'll see about that Tsukliyomi, we'll see…" and with that Hiro walked away and he mumbled "The war, has begun.,.."

**Back at the Hinamori Mansion **

Amu had decided to go back to the palace and meet up with Ikuto there. Utau stayed with Yoru in the mansion as Tadase and everyone else went with Amu. The majority of them, including Rima and Nagihiko, were at the garden discussing the upcoming Kingdom's Flower Festival.

"And to think it's that time of year again." Said Miki "We didn't get to go last year, you know with the Yamabukis going on…."

"At least we get to attend this year!" said Ran excitedly "It's going to be so much fun."

"Flower festival?" asked Utau "What's that?" she's never heard of such a festival at all.

"Seriously, a princess whose never heard of her own town's festival? Now I'll be." Everyone turned to see a smiling Kukai approaching the gardens.

"Kukai! Yaya's glad you're back. I mean, Amu-chii and the others just left." Said Yaya.

"Yeah, I know." Said Kukai "I kind of saw the carriage, and now, here I am."

"Kukai…." Utau stood from her seat and gave him a hug. "Are you better now?"

"Yeah, much better actually." Kukai stated as he hugged her back. "I'm sorry by the way…."

"For what?" asked Utau confused.

"I worried you princess, I made you feel bad, and I didn't even think about how you would've felt with my actions and words." Said Kukai "So I apologize. I didn't mean to make you unhappy."

Utau's eyes widened and she soon had a small smile on her face. "You know, sometimes you really are such a child. There's no need for you to apologize."

"Yes there is, so please just accept my apologies, or I'll feel bad." Said Kukai with a smile.

"I do. And since you're so insistent on apologizing, why don't you just make it up to me?" said Utau with her own smile.

"Really now?" asked Kukai. He faked a thought and then replied "Okay, what is it that you want me to do so that I can make it up to you?"

"Hm, why don't you….surprise me with that. Don't tell me, just do something and surprise me. You're better in surprises anyway." Suggested Utau. She was glad, that Kukai was going back to his old self again.

"You know what, I will." Said Kukai "The Flower Festival would be a brilliant way to do that."

"Will somebody please tell me what this flower festival is all about?" asked Utau as she faced the others as well.

"You'll find out soon Utau." Said Kukai.

"Don't worry, it'll be fun. Does Ikuto-kun not know of it as well?" asked Nagihiko.

"No, I think not. We've never been to any of the town's festivals, so we're not used to attending them and we know nothing of it's practices." Explained Utau.

"Then you're going to love this." Said Nagihiko. "It's going to be your first festival, and I assure you that you'll enjoy it."

Utau smiled, somehow she couldn't wait for the upcoming festival. She turned to Kukai and he gave her a smile. "I'm not going to lose you." He suddenly tells her. And he pulls her into a hug "I love you Utau, and I'll be here for you, anytime you wish me to."

"K-Kukai…what's gotten into you?" asked Utau as she blushed immediately, not used to his sudden actions without warning.

"I'll fight for you Utau, even if it means going to this war against Kenta…I won't lose you. I'll never leave you…" he mumbled to himself and he whispered to her ear "I love you Utau, I really do…"

"I love you too Kukai…." Utau wondered why the sudden shower of affection was about, but she knew that he was sincere and that he had his reasons.

As night approached, each of them were occupied with their own thoughts. Thoughts of their loved ones, their enemies, their companions and friends, and of many other things that could happen. Will the Terashima's plans work? Will the others be able to surpass their problems again? What will happen with the upcoming Flower Festival? And who will be victor to the war of love? One thing was certain to all of them…this was war, and it's just begun.

**Authors Note: Hey guys, I know it's late again. Well, this is the next chapter, and I hope you guys like it. Please review and tell me what you think. : ) Any other ideas are welcome. And yeah, the next chapter is possibly on the Flower Festival. So, I hope you guys will stay tuned. See you all soon! :D **


	9. Flower Festival MyBeginning With You

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA AND ITS CHARACTERS =))) EVEN THOUGH I WANT TO =)))**

**-Hey everyone! I am back! I am so so so so so so so SORRY! DX I feel bad for updating so late. I just finished my MIDTERMS and now I am awaiting my grades. PLEASE PRAY FOR ME =))) I'm aiming for DL and I really want to achieve my goal. And FINALS are coming up soon….NOOO! **

**-Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter, it's a bit longer than usual, so please tell me what you think. **

**-As always, any ideas are more than welcome and I will be updating as soon as possible. Thank you so much for all the reviews and hope you continue to support this fic. Thanks guys. **

**-Oh yeah, my cousin is planning to write her own story and I am trying to convince her to post it here in FF. I think it's really good but she thinks otherwise. Haha. Just sharing. Needed to give her some encouragement =)))**

**-Lastly, please also pray for my relative. She got admitted to the hospital, and I hope she gets better soon. Thank you guys. Thank you so much for everything =))) **

**-Now, to the story: I placed all the couples here! YAY! Ahaha. I hope you guys like it. NO KENTA AND HIRO IN THIS CHAPTER I don't know if that makes anyone feel better or worse but yeah, they're not here. =)))**

**-enough of my blabbering. So sorry about that. ON WITH THE STORY! ENJOY GUYS! Please review and tell me what you think! :D**

**Flower Festival: My Beginning With You**

Utau woke up when the sun suddenly hit her eyes. She squinted a bit before fully fluttering her eyes open. She smiled slightly, before getting out of bed and getting ready for the day. Once she was done, she walked out of her room and headed for their dining hall. The cook had greeted her immediately after her arrival to the room and then she sat down and waited for her food to arrive. "A very pleasant morning to you Utau-sama." Greeteed one of the cooks "I do hope that you enjoy your breakfast Hime-sama."

"Thank you very much." She replied with a smile "I take it Yuu is busy doing something else with Yukairi-san? I haven't seen them in the halls today. Nor have I seen Ikuto."

"Yes, they seem to be very busy these days, and as for your brother Hime-san, he mentioned something about meeting you in the Hinamori mansion." Said the cook.

"Ah, alright." As Utau dismissed the cook, she had a quiet, delicious and peaceful breakfast. She was used to not having her parents there with her. She was used to eating alone in the morning, but she was usually with Ikuto back then.

"I guess he's busier now." She muttered to herself. She sighed to herself and then thought _"This is why I want Kukai to be here. My mornings are usually lonely when he's not here…" _She was tired of the loneliness, and she just wanted her mornings to start with a smile every day, and without Kukai there every day, it just wasn't the same and possible.

Once she finished her breakfast, someone was already there, ready to collect her plate. She smiled and gave one more thank you, before leaving the dining hall and heading out. As she was walking down the corridors of the palace, she spotted Tadase, Lulu, kairi and Tsukasa in the palace garden and decided to pay them a visit before leaving for her trip to town.

"Good morning Utau-chan." Greeted Tadase.

"Morning Tadase, Lulu, Tsukasa and Kairi." Said Utau "You're all up early aren't you?"

"Time is essence Utau-chan. It cannot be wasted after all." Said Kairi with a smile.

"That's true. And there's so much to do today." Said Tsukasa "Were you planning to go off somewhere today?" he asked her.

"I'm actually waiting for Kukai to arrive. He promised to pick me up today and we'll be going to Amu's before heading for town." Said Utau.

"Ah, yes. The town should be very busy right now." Said Tsukasa. "After all, the Flower Festival is taking place yes?"

"I heard about that. Apparently people were making a really big fuss about it." Said Lulu "But I do wonder what it's all about."

"That's right. You aren't accustomed to all the village traditions here." Said Tadase "And to be honest, neither am I."

"No one from the palace seem to be quite familiar with it. In fact, if Kukai and the others never told me about it, I never even knew that such a thing existed in our custom." Utau stated.

"Yes, well that's a tad bit normal if you ask me." Said Kairi. "After all, none of the nobles usually bother to celebrate something like this."

"True, it's as if the villagers have their own personal world out there." Said Tsukasa "And I do suppose that we can no longer blame them for that. Let's all be honest, we as nobles and royals have our own ways of doing things and most of us isolate those of non-royal blood." He explained.

"These traditions in the village are the people's own way of expressing themselves and not just that, it's their way of doing things." Said Kairi.

"There are actually many more various festivals that they have there in the village, not just this one." Said Tsukasa with a smile.

"I see. I wonder why they never told us anything about them?" Utau asked.

"Dear, when you live your life in isolation, you can miss a lot." Said Lulu with a sigh "Trust me, I've been there, and it is not pretty. One of the disadvantages of ever being one of us, of being a royal."

"But they usually do that for protocol don't they?" asked Tadase. "Besides, you have much freedom now."

"Yes, and Kukai has played a very big part in that." Said Utau "Having him as a fiancée has so much life in it, and so many perks too." She said with a chuckle.

"Well I suppose that goes with the package of your very unique relationship." Says Tsukasa with a smile.

"Yes I suppose so." Utau says with a smile.

"So, Utau-chan, will you be attending the Flower Festival? It's supposed to be beautiful this year." Says Tadase with a smile.

"Hm? Yeah, Kukai said that he'd take me. The others are going as well. Aren't you?" she asked Tadase with a questioning look.

"I was planning to go as well. Lulu-chan had agreed to accompany me." Tadase glanced over at Lulu and gave her a smile, and Utau didn't fail to notice that she smiled back with a blush very evident on her face.

Tsukasa gave off a small chuckle as he stared at the two teens and Utau gave off a little laugh. This action made Tadase and Lulu blush even more. Utau stifled more of her laughter as she saw the aftermath of what happened, and even kairi couldn't help it.

"Ahem." Tsukasa said as he cleared his throat "Anyway, Kairi-kun, were you planning to attend as well?"

"Yes. I'll be asking Musashi to drop me off in the Fujisaki household later on so I can pick up Yaya." Said Kairi with a small smile.

"Oh I see." Said Utau "So you and Yaya will be heading there separate from us?" asked Utau.

"Yes, well, that's what was supposed to happen." Explained Kairi.

"And Tadase and I will be going there separately as well." Said Lulu.

"Hm, so I guess that we'll just be seeing each other in town then." Stated Utau and the others just nodded in reply.

"Seems that your escort is here." Said Tsukasa with another smile.

"Hey everyone!" Utau turned to see Kukai there as he waved at them. As he walked closer to where they were sitting, she walked towards him and she was welcomed with a hug. "Hey to you too, princess." He told him with a chuckle. "Couldn't wait to see me?"

"You wish." She muttered softly only loud enough for him to hear, but of course she meant nothing of it, since she was really glad that he was here.

"Aw. That really hurt." Said Kukai with a mock pout on his face, but she could definitely feel the humor in his voice.

"Hey Tsukasa-san, are you going to the festival?" asked Kukai as he continued to hold Utau in his arms.

"I'm rather busy today, but I will definitely try to stop by the town today. After all, I wouldn't want to miss such a beautiful festival yes?" said Tsukasa.

"You really wouldn't, they've decorated the whole town for this you know." Kukai looked over at Utau and smiled at her "You're going to love it, I'm sure of that. The townsfolk put up a lot of effort for it you know? To make everything so grand."

"I'm looking forward to it, you know that. This is my first time to attend any festival made from town. So I'm truly looking forward to it." Said Utau honestly, she was still hugging him, not willing to let go just yet.

"And I'm sure that all of you will have a great time." Said Tsukasa, and then he looked over at Kukai "Now then, wouldn't you two want to go on ahead now?"

"What? Do you want to be rid of us already Tsukasa-san?" asked Kukai with a playful grin.

"Why of course not, but I also didn't want to be the one to keep you here, and I have enough company to keep me entertained." Tsukasa said with a smile.

"And I figured that the two of you wanted to spend as much time as you could today." Said Lulu "Everything seems to be so hectic nowadays that we can't seem to get any free time at all."

"Well, we just have to bear with that. And hopefully today will go by without any problems." Said Tadase with a sigh. He wished that at least one day would go on without some kind of shocking news that will turn their entire day into some disaster fest.

"Let's not keep thinking about that Tadase. We must learn to enjoy what we have right now, and we might not know what tomorrow will bring, but making most of the present is what's important. After all, we can't turn back time, so we might as well make the most of it. Wouldn't you all agree?" said Tsukasa with a smile. He always knew what to say, and even when to say it. It's as if he shares his 'words of wisdom' every chance that he gets. Not that anyone's complaining.

"I suppose what we can do now is to just be optimistic about it. Not too much though, and we simply have to be cautious." Said Kukai with a smile.

"Oh sure. That shouldn't be much of a problem for you now should it?" said Utau with a smile, finally pulling away from their hug, much to Kukai's dismay. "You're just the epitome of optimism."

"I wouldn't say that, but thanks." Said Kukai with a laugh.

"Anyway, I agree with Tsukasa-san, you should get going." Stated Tadase as he looked over at Kukai and Utau "After all, we wouldn't want to wait until it gets too crowded down there. The rest of us will follow soon."

"Alright." Kukai then took Utau's hand in his and spoke "Come on, this way we'll have time to see if my dear brother is still at home."

"Don't forget to ask Musashi to come back here for the rest of us after he drops you off." Reminded Lulu "Or we won't be able to follow."

"Don't worry. I won't forget to remind him, but I'm quite sure that Kairi was well prepared and already told him to come back for you guys." Said Utau with a smile. "So, we'll be heading off now?" she asked Kukai with a smile.

"Yeah." He replied and turned to the others "Well we better head off. See you all later." And with that said, they left the garden hand in hand and headed off for their destination.

**Meanwhile With Ikuto and Amu**

After Ikuto woke up early to attend some sort of meeting with his father, he immediately headed for the Hinamori Mansion. He never bothered to go back to the palace. In Ikuto's terms, he had enough of palace issues for the entire day. He's had to wake up early, and the only reason that he was thankful was simply because he got to see Amu earlier.

"It's good to see you here so early in the morning Ikuto-kun." Dia had greeted him once he came in. "Amu-chan and the others are waiting for you outside."

"Nice to see you too." Said Ikuto with a smile and then he followed Dia as she lead him outside.

Once they got outside, almost everyone was there, as Ikuto had noticed.

"Everyone, Ikuto-kun has just arrived." Dia called as she and Ikuto came into the garden.

"Ikuto!" Amu greeted him with a smile and went over to give him a hug. She's been quite expressive of her feelings lately, ehich Ikuto didn't mind one bit.

"Happy to see me then Amu?" he asked her with a grin.

"Will you stop doing that? It always ruins the moment." Said Amu with a playful glare, but everyone, even she knew, that she was happy to see him. And that he had finally arrived.

"So, what's the plan for today?" asked Ran when Ikuto and Amu broke apart.

"I guess we head for town as soon as everyone is ready, which would be only a few moments from now." Said Dia.

"Aw, come on. Can't we just go already?" asked Ran "I'm really looking forward to seeing the town when it isn't that crowded yet."

"It's crowded every year." Said Daichi who had arrived just a few minutes before Ikuto. "I didn't bother to wait for Kukai anymore, and he should know that he might not see me when he gets there."

"Was it that crowded already?" asked Dia.

"Yeah. That's why I didn't bother to wait for Kukai and Utau to arrive. I couldn't stay there in the crowd. The entire town was crowding around everywhere earlier, and that was just before I left. You can imagine what it looks like now." Said Daichi with a sigh.

"Anyway, come on, and let's not even waste our time here!" said Ran "We have to move everyone!"

"Alright, alright." Said Miki. "Come on, I'm meeting Yoru there."

"Really?" asked Ikuto "No wonder he said he didn't want to come with me. I guess he had his own plans."

"Seems so, but let's all leave these two lovebirds alone shall we? She'll tell us all about it when she's ready." Said Dia with a smile.

Miki blushed but chose to ignore it and stay silent. They waited for a while to fix up everything before they all decided that it was just about time that they themselves headed to town. They agreed that they'd all go there together before splitting up just so no one got lost, and so that they'd at least see how crowded it was. After all the confusions were cleared up, they all headed to town with no other complaints.

**In The Town…**

**With Kukai and Utau**

Meanwhile, Utau and Kukai had just arrived in town, and Kukai wasn't too surprised when he didn't find his brother at home. "I guess he left already." Kukai has stated. From the looks of things, the people were already gathering around, and roaming all over the town. Flowers were decorated and stationed everywhere, and each place they looked, was just as well decorated as the others.

Utau had never seen the town so well done before. After all, festivities like this don't seem to happen every day. Everything she saw continued to fascinate her, especially the wide variety of flowers on display and on sale. Vendors were selling flowers to almost every other passerby in the area, and a lot of buyers were also present.

Kukai had left Utau for a moment to mingle with the crowd. Utau stayed in one place all on her own as she waited for Kukai. She didn't expect any of the others to suddenly appear, and she didn't mind being alone for a while, just enjoying everything around her.

"Hey, sorry about that but…" Kukau stopped speaking when he called to Utau, as he saw her staring into space with a soft smile. He smiled softly and from behind, placed his arms around her slim waist. Utau's eyes widened at the contact because of her shock, but she eventually sighed contented and leaned against him.

"Your back." She stated with her eyes closed and still with a smile.

"Yeah, sorry for leaving you for the moment. I just needed to get something." Said Kukai "So, what are you thinking about?" he asked her curiously.

"Nothing important really." Said Utau "Just very content."

"Seems like it." He told her in agreement "You were smiling when I came back, I felt bad for disturbing your train of thought."

"Not really, don't feel so bad." Said Utau as tilted her head upward to meet his eyes as he looked down at her. "I was just thinking happy thoughts that's all."

"Seems like you really like it here." Said Kukai as he looked at the colorful view in front of them.

"Yes. As I said, it's my first time." Said Utau and then she asked "What is this all about anyway? I mean, you never did tell me the purpose of this festival."

"Oh yeah. I never explained that yet haven't I?" said Kukai with a smile.

"So? Explain it to me then." Stated Utau as she leaned back into his chest "What is it all about?"

"Well, how to put it. In a nutshell, the Flower festival is o welcome the entering of new beginning. History wise, we never really had anything new happening here, but did you know? The townsfolk have organized this kind of this every year, and say that there's always something new to look forward to. Like…spring right after the winter." Said Kukai. "So, they pull out all these flowers and decorate the whole town for an entire day to celebrate it. They always do it this time of the year, when it's near spring."

"I see." Replied Utau as she continued to smile. "So, it's tradition then?" she asked.

"Yeah. Kind of. Everyone's looking forward to it every year. I'm kind of shocked you guys knew nothing about it." Said Kukai with a shrug.

"Hm, well, if you happen to be stuck in the palace your whole life you wouldn't be so surprised, boy." Said Utau. "Besides, we knew that things like this happened, it's just that we never got to see them first hand."

"Hmmm? Did you know that there's a tradition in this tradition?" asked Kukai with a smirk.

"And what would that be?" asked Utau suddenly amused and interested.

Even though he knew that she couldn't see him, he smirked. He then released one of his hands around her waist and took out a flower that he has been hiding just beside him. He placed this hand back around her waist, but this time, with the flower at hand.

"Here, this is for you." Said Kukai as he leaned his head on top of hers while he waited for her to respond.

Utau looked at the flower right in front of her and smiled. Of course, she was shocked, but to see that single red rose held right in front of her, being offered by no one else but Kukai. "And what's this?" she asked him teasingly.

"Ouch I am so hurt." Kukai said with a mock-hurt voice and then he chuckled. "It's a flower of course. And it's for you."

"Oh?" Utau smiled and she took the flower from his hand and used her other hand to touch his. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Said Kukai "But you know, now you have to give me something."

"Hm? Give you something? Like what?" asked Utau confused.

"You see, that tradition I was talking about?" asked Kukai and she nodded "Whenever the guy gives a girl a flower, it basically means that he wants that someone to be a part of his new beginning or something like that. And in return, the girl has to give the guy a specific something to acknowledge him and respond to his…request per se."

"Ok." Said Utau in understanding "And what is it? What is it that I have to give you?" she asked him, curiosity very evident in his voice.

"Well, it's something only you would be able to do." Stated Kukai, his grin getting wider "You have to…"

**With Rima and Nagihiko **

"Kiss me." Stated Nagihiko with a grin as Rima was holding the flower she had just received in her hand, her face flushed a deep shade of red. Rima and Nagihihko had met up with Amu and the rest of the gang a little bit earlier when they arrived, but they soon decided to split up and simply meet up later tonight. And now, Nagihiko and Rima were left alone.

"Hmp. I don't see why I have to." Stated Rima as she looked down at the flower and not at Nagi's face, afraid that she wouldn't be able to make eye contact.

"Oh? But Rima-chan, it is tradition is it not?" asked Nagihiko with a smile "Unless of course, you didn't like my gesture…"

"No!" Rima suddenly looked up to meet his eyes but her face was still beat red. "i-it's n-not like that at all…."

Nagihiko looked shocked for a moment about her outburst but then he smiled. "Alright, I was just joking Rima-chan. Gomen."

"No, it's not your fault anyway." Stated Rima "It's…just embarrassing. But…thank you."

"Hm? You're welcome. And you don't have to if you don't want to." Said Nagihiko with a smile.

Rima slowly looked up to meet his eyes and saw that he meant what he said. She knew that Nagihiko never forced her to do anything she didn't want to do, and she really liked that about him. She smiled and slowly she stood on her tiptoe and placed her arms around his neck.

"I'd rather I stick with the tradition." She told him with a smile.

Nagihiko chuckles as their faced got closer, only inches apart "Ah, well, we wouldn't want to break this tradition now would we?"

"Agreed." She told him before leaning down to kiss him. He smiled and of course, did not hesitate to kiss to kiss her back.

Once they broke away, their faces not far from each other Nagihiko smiled and said "You know this means that we have a new beginning ahead of us."

"Yeah…" she replied with a small smile.

"And will get through it won't we Rima-chan?" asked Nagihiko, although already knowing the answer.

"Yeah…we will…" said Rima "I know we'll get through anything…"

"_Together."_ They said at the same time. And then they stared at each other for a moment baffled, before laughing and pulling away, with their hands intertwined.

"Yes, we'll get through it…together." Said Nagihiko with confirmation in his voice. "Together…"

**With Ikuto and Amu **

Ikuto and Amu were both together roaming around the town, and just like Kukai, Ikuto had decided to leave Amu on her own for a while, to go get some flowers for her. Amu, unknown to it all, simply agreed to wait for him as he did whatever he wanted. Once he returned, he smiled as he presented her with a bouquet of beautiful red roses. She looked up at him in shock and then she smiled.

"I thought you didn't know anything about these kinds of traditions that happened in town?" said Amu amusingly, although her face was already beat red, she wished to keep her composure as long as she could.

"I asked Tsukasa about it when you mentioned it to me. He gave me the information I needed concerning this tradition of yours." Said Ikuto and then he added "So? Aren't you going to take the flowers? I'm hurt Amu, after I took the liberty of purchasing them for you."

Amu eyed Ikuto for a moment and then she smiled. "How sweet of you Ikuto, but you didn't have to." She took the flowers anyway and leaned her face closer to be able to inhale its scent. "They smell nice." She stated with a sigh.

"Hm. But you know what they say, you give and you get Amu." Said Ikuto as his face gave out a wide grin.

"Hm? What do you mean by that?" she asked confused.

"Didn't you know Amu? That a person who gives a girl the flowers gets his own reward?" asked Ikuto, the grin never leaving his features.

Amu blinked once, and then twice, and then after the third time, her face turned beat red, even redder than it was before and her eyes immediately widened in shock of realization. "Wh-wh-…." She was rendered speechless.

"Too shocked I see?" asked Ikuto "I thought you were supposed to know this tradition better than I did? Then why oh why do you seem so…shocked." He enjoyed moments like this when she was flustered and he couldn't help but tease her to no end.

"Pervert…" she muttered, but it didn't go unheard.

"So, I get my reward now don't I?" asked Ikuto.

"Hmp, just don't get a big head you pervert." Said Amu as she looked up to meet his eyes.

"Now, why would I ever get a big head for? But you know, I do want that reward quite badly." Said Ikuto as he leaned in closer, their faces only inches apart. 'I wouldn't want anyone else to give it to me, no one else but you Amu."

"I know." Amu stated in a matter of fact tone in her voice, but it was slightly trembling because of both embarrassment and her nervousness.

"Then what are you waiting for?" asked Ikuto "You know I'm not very patient, especially when I know what I want."

Amu sighed and took a deep breath before slowly closing the distance between them and whispering "You're so lucky I love you, because if it were any other perverted cat, I'd probably slap him right now."

Ikuto chuckled and cupped her face with his hands before replying "And that, my dear Amu, is why I love you, and only you." And he pulled her face closer to his and sealed it with a sweet lingering kiss.

**With Miki and Yoru **

Yoru had met up with Miki in the eastern part of the town. The two of them had often seen each other there before so it wasn't a hard meeting place and it saved them the time of looking for the other. Miki had split up with the others and immediately headed for their meeting place, and what awaited her was a smiling Yoru with a large bouquet of flowers.

"Miki~nya, you came." Said Yoru happily as Miki came and gave him a hug, causing his face to turn beat red.

"Of course I did." She stated, unknown to him that she was also blushing madly, her heart pounding paces faster than the usual rate. "I told you that I would show up right? So here I am."

"Thank you. And these are for you~nya." He handed her the flowers in his hand and looked away when she took it from him, afraid of her possible reactions.

"Sugoi. They're so pretty." Miki said as she smiled and held the flowers in her hands while examining them. "You didn't have to."

"But, I had to." Said Yoru with a small smile "I mean, I wanted to give them to you~nya."

"Really? Thanks so much." She told him and she gave him a smile that made his heart stop for a brief moment.

"A-ah, I don't mind…I mean, I'm g-glad that y-you liked it.~nya." He said, as he couldn't stop himself from stuttering.

Miki looked at him and then realization also hit her, she didn't know if Yoru knew of the rules of this tradition or of he's heard of it, but he figured that he had the right to know, or maybe he just didn't bother to bring it up, but whatever the reasons, it didn't stop her from asking.

"So, Yoru, have you heard about the…tradition of the festival?" asked Miki.

Yoru looked at her questioningly and then shook his head "Not all of it~nya. All I know is that the guy gives the girl flowers."

"Hm, that sounds about right…anything else?" she asked again.

"No~nya. Why?" he asked her confused.

Mki gulped and then breathed before answering "You see, the girl needs to…give the boy…a kiss, when she receives the flower."

"Eh?" Yoru looked at her shocked and then red became the new color of his face.

"I…I mean, I don't have to if you don't want me to, it's just tradition and yeah…so I don't have to…" stated Miki immediately, she didn't want any kind of awkwardness to come between them, but that didn't stop her from wanting it to happen either.

"N-No!" Yoru's sudden outburst caught her off guard. "I mean, I…I want you to…." He stated softly.

"Y-you won't mind?" asked Miki shocked, blush taking over in her cheeks as well.

Yoru simply shook his head, embarrassed and worried that he might say something he isn't supposed to. Miki smiled to herself and her heart was pounding so fast she thought it might burst out of her chest. Then slowly, but a bit hesitant, she leaned in closer to him and whispered "Thank you…I…I love you…." And as his eyes widened, before he could even respond, her lips met his in a sweet longing kiss, which they both knew was the start of their new beginning together.

**With Yaya and Kairi **

Kairi had fetched Yaya out from the Fujisaki household taking her around town, as the gentleman that he was, he knew that he had to guide her everywhere she went, never daring to leave her side. Yaya, of course, appreciated this gesture but didn't hesitate to be her hyper, active self and drag Kairi everywhere.

"Yaya, don't you think we should stop and rest?" he asked with a sigh, but he still had a smile on his face seeing her so happy.

"But Kairi! We have to look around some more. Yaya isn't tired yet." She stated as they continued to walk around town.

"As you wish." He stated, simply giving in to her wants, after all, nothing beats seeing her happy.

As they walked around the town, Yaya saw a flower that caught her attention and immediately went go buy it, but as she was paying for it, kairi reached out and gave the vendor the amound of coins needed to buy the flower. When they left Kairi handed Yaya the flower and she smiled. "It's for you." He told her with a smile.

"Thank you Kairi! Yaya's very happy to have gotten a flower from you and not some other boy." Yaya stated as she smiled wider.

Kairi, still pondering on what she had said, utterly confused, was stunned out of his mind when she immediately kissed him. He stood there motionless and wide eyed and heard her give off a giggle. It was a quick kiss, coming from Yaya, but a kiss nevertheless.

"W-why did you…" Kairi didn't complete his question when he realized the reason why she did it. The Flower Festival had its traditions and this was one of them. He's heard of it before of course, but never realizing that he had forgotten about it the moment he started going with Yaya, he had forgotten about the return when a boy gives a girl a flower, leaving him completely stunned. Her giggling brought him out of his trance and then he heard her voice speak to him.

"Come on Kairi! Let's go." She smiled and pulled his arm to some other direction, as she heard the vendors nearby chuckle and giggle at their little moment.

As Kairi let himself be dragged, he smiled at the thought of what she had said before. _"Yaya's very happy to have gotten a flower from you __**and not some other boy…."**_ She was happy it was him, and that thought was enough to make him smile for the entire day.

**With Tadase and Lulu**

Tadase had arrived with Lulu in town not too long after Ikuto and the others have. Tadase had known little of the tradition before Lulu came, and he probably wouldn't have bothered asking about it if not for her. But as Utau and Tsukasa had predicted, Tadase was drawn to the girl, and unknown to him she was drawn to him as well. And he also figured that somehow, him knowing a little bit about the tradition would eventually be worth it.

"Tadase, do you know anything about this tradition?" asked Lulu. She herself knew quite a lot about it, from her family members of course, other than the fact that she's attended it before.

"Not quite well, but I do know about it." Admitted Tadase.

"Really?" she asked, a bit shocked.

"Yes, Tsukasa-san had told me about it just a few days ago." Said Tadase a bit embarrassed.

"Hm, well what do you know about it?" she asked.

Instead of giving her an answer, he shyly handed her a rose. He looked away from her face, but it simply displayed the mix of happiness and shock. "This is for you." Tadase told her softly.

He was such a shy boy, and she knew that, this must have been really important for him, and honestly, she was more than touched. "Thank you." She stated in return with a smile and a blush on her face.

"You're welcome." He replied and was about to turn away when she pulled on his sleeve and stated "Shouldn't I give you something? You know, tradition wise?"

Tadase looked at her stunned and couldn't stop the blood rushing to his face. "Y-you don't have to, not when it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, I don't mind at all." Said Lulu with a sly smile "I would feel really bad if I never got to repay you, and I wouldn't want that now would I?"

Before Tadase could even bother to reply, he felt her lips quickly touch hers, and as quick as it happened, it was soon gone. He blinked a few times before realizing what had just happened. He heard her giggling in the background, probably because of the weird look her knew he had on her face, and she also felt him hold onto his hand and pull him away. He smiled, let himself be pulled to who knows where and the happily thought "_It was most definitely worth it." _

**With Ran and Daichi**

Like Miki and Yoru, they also had a meeting place that was set. Daichi had taken Ran anywhere she wanted to go that day after they met up. He had the flowers with him, but still didn't give it to her until they were back at the Souma household. He had taken her there and had prepared a small meal for her, one that she willingly taken.

"This was really nice of you." Said Ran as they were seated in one of the round tables, just opposite each other.

"No problem, any time. As long as it's for you." He stated with a grin.

"You're getting too cheesy for your own good." Said Ran with a giggle.

"It's all your fault and you know it." Daichi stated. "Wait here for a minute."

Leaving Ran a bit confused, but hopeful at the same time, he walked towards one of the back rooms and came back with flowers in his hand. "These are for you." He told her "Sorry I took so long in giving them to you.

"No, it's not your fault, and I didn't mind at all. Thank you." Ran smiled at him and the she laughed silently.

"What's so funny?" he asked her confused.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about Miki and Yoru. I wonder if they've made some progress." Said Ran.

"They should have." Said Daichi as he placed a hand at the back of his head "Or I'd be really pissed at Yoru for being so slow."

"Like you?" asked Ran teasingly.

"I wasn't that bad!" he protested and then laughed "But I guess I should know well enough how he feels. After all, we've been there."

"So true." Said Ran with a sigh.

"Anyway, shouldn't you owe me something now?" asked Daichi with a grin "After all, it's tradition."

"And we wouldn't want to neglect tradition."Ran finished for him. "You know I would never."

"I know." Daichi stated with a smile. He leaned in closer and kissed her softly before pulling away. "Now that you mention it, this is the first time that you let me kiss you during the festival." And it was true. Daichi would give Ran flowers every year but she always returned with a kiss on the cheek, afraid of possible rejection, but it was different now, it was better.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way." She told him with a smile. And neither of them would, they both knew that they liked things just as they were now, and wouldn't change it for the world.

The day went on as it would every year. Fireworks were set off by nightfall and soon everyone was huddled together with someone they held dear. They celebrated a chance for new beginnings and a day to look forward to. Dia was with Su, as they both haven't found their significant others, but still held each other dear and waited for their time to come. Rhythm had spent his day with his best friend Temari and they both looked up at the beautiful display of the colorful sky. And even Tsukasa, who was true to his word had came and visited the town. He smiled and knew that their new beginning was indeed starting to come into fruition. "A big challenge is about to begin, of love, friendship and trust, and with that challenge they will be tested. For in every darkened road, the beauty of life will soon come hand in hand. As a flower blooms and shows it's true beauty so must they show the true beauty of love and friendship to another."

**Author's Note: I am so sorry once again for my late update! I hope you guys can forgive me again. Please don't kill me :D I wanted to update sooner but as I said, many things happened lately and it's so hard to adjust to my schedule nowadays. Please Review and tell me what you think. : )))) Thanks everyone!**


	10. No Words

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara or its characters**

**-Hey guys I am back! My finals just finished and man was it hard! I only hope that I'll pass and get that DL as planned. *sigh* **

**-Anyway, thanks so much for all the reviews for the last chapter : ))) As always, ideas are always welcome. :D**

**-I hope you like this chapter, things start to get a bit interesting here. **

**-Okay guys I won't keep you anymore. Please Review and tell me what you think! **

**No Words**

Hiro walked around the palace grounds frustrated, annoyed and mostly, angry. He never got to meet with Amu that day for she left too early for him to catch up to. And to make things worse, he forgot about the Flower Festival just the day before and missed his chance in spending some time with her as well.

"That wretch, thinking he could get ahead of me." He muttered angrily. "He's wrong if he thinks that I've already given up on her. I am not through with him, not until she is mine."

As Hiro was walking along the path, he suddenly saw Kenta speaking with someone who he assumed was Utau. He rounded to a corner and hid himself close to the walls and decided to listen in on their conversation.

"What is he up to?" Hiro asked himself quietly, before he heard the princess's reply to what seemed like Kenta's question.

"I don't know about this Terashima-kun." Utau started "Kukai isn't going to be happy about it. And don't you think I have a right to at least contact my fiancée about this?" she asked him.

Kenta sighed. "Utau-chan, I told you, this is a part of the "rules" that was set by the kingdom leaders and I'm not breaking anything."

"Yes, but still. I refuse to follow their arrogant little demands." Said Utau. "If you think I'm some kind of puppet you can play with then you're highly mistaken."

"It's nothing like that at all." Said Kenta with a small smile "I've never thought of you as a prize. All I'm asking is for you to give me a chance. You can even tell Souma-san that I told you to go with me."

Utau looked at the boy in front of her and sighed. She was thinking critically about the situation at hand. It was too much of a shock to process at first, but once it sank in, Kenta's request was simple. He wanted her to go somewhere with him for the day, in short, he wanted a date.

"Look, I just don't want any trouble. For you and me both." Utau told him "And I don't want to make it look like I'm betraying my fiancée."

"But you aren't." said Kenta. He wanted her to agree with him, even if it was just for this one time. "It was my request after all."

"But…" before Utau could muster up another protest Kenta cut her in.

"And besides, did you not tell us that you would comply to a fair fight? I'm not supposed to just let you get away with him. I have a part to play in this as well. I was serious when I said I would fight for you in front of the leaders." Said Kenta seriously.

Utau thought of it again and then she finally decided to give in, but she would definitely tell Kukai about it. She had no intention of hiding something like this from him. And she didn't want news to travel that she never gave Kenta a time of day, especially after what went on with the kingdom leaders.

"Fine. I'll go with you." Said Utau.

"Really?" Kenta asked, shocked, but happiness evident in his voice.

"Yes. But, I have my own rules, and you better not try anything funny." Said Utau seriously.

"I promise that you won't regret this Utau-chan! Thank you!" said Kenta with a smile "I'll meet you down by the entrance in a few minutes if you will." And with that he ran off, leaving Utau to heave a heavy sigh.

Utau started walking off to change into more appropriate clothing as she asked herself "Did I make the right choice? Hm, and when did he start calling me Utau-chan?"

To say Hiro was interested in the sudden turn of events was an understatement. He was quite overwhelmed as well. To think his little brother would make a move so suddenly. He smiled as he walked off to the direction of their room and reminded himself to definitely ask Kenta for further details. "Things suddenly got interesting…very interesting…"

**With Ikuto and Amu **

Amu was currently listening to Ikuto play his violin. They were in their secret place where no one else would find or disturb them. She relaxed as she listened to the melodious tune coming from said instrument and of course from the person playing it as well. Ikuto had his eyes closed but he didn't need it open to know that she was listening and that she was definitely enjoying it. As the last notes were played Ikuto finally opened his eyes to see Amu smiling at him softly.

"Looks like you enjoyed that." Ikuto said with a smile as he placed his violin back into its case.

"I did. Ikuto, you're getting even better." Said Amu and then she laughed softly, "I just hope it doesn't start to boost your ego and get into your head."

"Aw, I'm hurt. Are you saying I have a big head?" he asked her with a mock-hurt look on his face.

She stuck her tongue out at him and replied "Don't you already have a big head?" she asked.

"Again, I am hurt." He told her. He approached her and enveloped her in a hug, to which she had a hard time freeing herself from.

"Oi Ikuto, what are you doing?" she asked as she tried to wriggle herself free.

"Is it wrong to hug you? No one's here anyway, I thought you'd be used to it by now." Said Ikuto with light chuckle.

"I am, but…you always keep catching me off guard." Said Amu, her voice a mere whisper now. She was still embarrassed, and that something that he never failed at making her do.

Ikuto smiled and then adjusted his hold on her, to make her relax a bit more. Once that he felt that she was no longer tense within his hold, he relaxed as well and simply enjoyed their current state.

"Better?" he asked.

"Hmm." Was the only response that he got, but he knew that she was content.

For a moment, things were silent and no words were needed to be exchanged between them. They knew how the other felt, and no one said anything to the other. But then, the moment was suddenly disturbed when they heard sudden footsteps nearby.

"Who's there?" Ikuto asked, alertness suddenly evident in his voice as he held Amu close.

"Calm own Ikuto, it's just me." Out came Utau and she was alone, as she always was when she came. Aside from herself and Yoru, no one else knew about this place, and they were relieved that it was going to stay that way.

"Utau!" Amu exclaimed as she came to hug her friend.

Utau smiled as she hugged Amu back and then began to walk around the green area. "Seems like you two were having a moment. Sorry to have interrupted." She saw Ikuto's violin and immediately known what was going on.

"It's nothing, since you're here now anyway." Said Ikuto, but he meant no malice with it. "So, what brings you here?" he asked her. All he needed was to take one look at his sister and he knew something was going on.

"Nothing big really. It's just that, I got cornered into going with Kenta to town today, on a date." Said Utau nonchalantly, but on the inside she felt rather annoyed with the idea.

There was a moment of silence followed by a "What?" from Amu, and continued silence from Ikuto, but his face was stone cold.

"Utau, what are you thinking?" asked Ikuto seriously. He wanted to know what had possessed his sister to possibly agree to something like that.

"I had no choice Ikuto, he was persistent, and at the same time, he was using my statement in front of the kingdom leaders against me. I can't just ignore him forever, that would cause havoc with the other observers." Said Utau annoyed "And it's not like I wanted to do it. More like I was left without a choice."

"But, does Kukai know?" Amu asked her.

Utau dreaded that question, or any possible statement to do with Kukai right now. She knew that he'd be upset, and there was nothing she could do to just make Kenta leave her alone. "No, not yet anyway. I just found out about it today. But don't worry, I have no intention of hiding it from Kukai."

"You better not. He has every right to know. And I have to admit, you have to give Kenta credit for not giving up so easily, but that's the same quality of his that makes me want to punch his gut out." Ikuto stated.

"I had no other choice. He made a point, I can't just keep ignoring him forever. And, he won't stop annoying and pestering me until I say yes." Said Utau "So now, I have to go."

"Just make sure you tell Souma, and that you don't fall for the guy." Said Ikuto with a slight grin.

"As if I would." Replied Utau. "Anyway, I just came here to tell you just in case you two come looking for me." She turned her back to them and slowly began to walk back from where she came.

"Be careful." Said Ikuto "I know that you falling for him is slim to none, but remember that he could be up to something."

"Don't worry so much about it for goodness's sake." Utau said with a small smile. "I won't fall for him so easily, and he can't seem to get the idea that I'm taken. I told him not to try anything so don't worry so much about it."

Utau bid them goodbye and then she walked away, leaving the two of them in peace. Ikuto watched his sister walk away from them until she disappeared. His eyes not wavering from the sight of his sister until she was completely gone. Amu had noticed his sudden change of mood and asked "Are you okay Ikuto?"

"Just because she told him not to try anything, doesn't mean he won't." stated Ikuto. He felt something wrong was about to happen and Amu could see in his eyes that he was worried for Utau.

"She'll be okay." Said Amu "This is Utau we're talking about."

"She may look tough Amu, but she's only human." Said Ikuto "And Utau might not look like it, but there are things even she can't control and things that she's afraid of."

"But, she'll be alright won't she?" asked Amu, worry now in her voice.

"She will, as long as Kenta and his wretched brother don't try anything." Said Ikuto seriously. He doubted Kenta would dare try anything alone, but if his brother had told him to do anything, then that would certainly be a problem.

On the other hand, Kenta was waiting for Utau to arrive. He didn't take as quick as he thought he would, save the fact that he had an encounter with his brother on the way. He sighed, he knew that if Hiro found out about his date with Utau, he wuld definitely get ideas. His brother had stated some facts, but his methods weren't to Kenta's liking, but he wondered if he had a choice at all at this point. His words crammed into Kenta's head, their encounter still fresh from his mind.

_As Kenta was walking towards the palace entrance to meet with Utau, he suddenly spotted his brother approaching. "Well done Kenta." Hiro greeted with an amused smile. _

"_Hiro-nii." Kenta greeted, with less amusement than what Hiro had hoped for. _

"_What's the matter? You don't seem too happy to see me." Said Hiro with a confused look, but the amusement never left his eyes as he looked at his brother._

"_It's nothing like that at all Hiro-nii." Said Kenta, he wasn't lying, he was just afraid that his brother was about to tell him something he didn't want to hear right now. _

"_That's good. For a moment there it looked like you didn't like seeing me here." Said Hiro "But I do have to say Kenta, you deserve my highest praise for what you've accomplished." _

"_Accomplished?" Kenta asked confused, and rather shocked. _

"_Why of course. You managed to ask for Utau-hime's company. That, my dear brother, is something truly to be proud of." Said Hiro with a sly smile. _

_Kenta sighed. Somehow, he knew that it would come to this. "Hiro-nii, I have no hidden intentions for my actions. I really just want to spend some time with her." _

"_Oh but you do Kenta. If you didn't, you would have taken the liberty to talk to Souma about it. You see, even if you don't admit it, you want the princess to choose you in the end, and that's why you've begun to take such big risks." Said Hiro. _

_Kenta was silent, he didn't know what to tell his brother at this point. Hiro's smile had widened with his brother's reaction and he continued. "There's nothing wrong with what you're doing. You're simply taking what is rightfully yours." _

"_She isn't mine Hiro-nii." Kenta stated sadly, and a bit of anger had swelled up within him with the realization of how true that statement was. _

"_She isn't yours…yet." Said Hiro "But you can make her yours Kenta. You have the ability to do so." _

_Kenta looked at his brother and then spoke "I have no intention of forcing her to choose me Hiro-nii, but I don't intend to just hand her over either." _

"_Well, I'm glad to hear that you don't just plan to give her up, but I wonder how long you can last with such noble intentions. And I do wonder, if that's how you truly feel." Said Hiro "After all, it'd be such a shame to lose her to someone as lowly as Souma, seeing as you have much better promise for her, and you can offer her so much more." _

"_What are you…" Kenta was shocked and wanted to ask his brother what he meant, but before he could Hiro simply walked passed him, and walked away as if nothing happened. As they passed each other, his brother's last words still echoed in his head "Think about it Kenta, and think carefully…" _

Now, as Kenta arrived at the entrance, occupied by all his thoughts, he didn't notice Utau approach him. "Terashima-kun, are you alright?" he heard Utau ask him, snapping him out of his dazed state.

"Oh, Utau-chan! Please call me Kenta." Kenta looked at her, and to him she looked absolutely stunning. "You look beautiful." He said with a small, sincere smile.

Utau's eyes widened as she looked at him, it was as if in that moment, Kenta was like the splitting image of Kukai. His smile was so much like Kukai's it was nauseating that she felt something when Kenta smiled. Her face heated up a bit and she muttered a small thank you.

Kenta saw the reaction and he smiled wider, but in no sinister way. "Uhm, shall we get going? We wouldn't want to be out so late."

"Of course." Replied Utau. She was still a bit stricken by what had happened and she mentally cursed herself for blushing.

So, the two had headed for the town for the day, and Kenta had been nothing less of a gentleman for the whole duration of their trip. Opening doors, carrying things for her, and never leaving her alone, he was with her the entire time, and as much as Utau didn't want to admit it, she was having fun.

"So, where are going now?" asked Utau as she looked around town. There were less people now, since the festival had passed.

"Wherever you want" replied Kenta simply. He was also having the time of his life.

"Hm, what about something to eat." Said Utau. She was a bit hungry and tired from walking all over the place.

"Alright then. Do you have any specific place where you want to eat?" asked Kenta as he looked at her.

"Well I…" before she could answer, voice had suddenly interrupted their conversation.

"Utau?" Instantly, Utau felt mortified. She turned and saw a shocked and hurt Kukai looking right at them.

"Kukai…" she didn't know what else to say. She was caught and she felt like dying right there.

Kenta immediately noticed the tense atmosphere and spoke up "Souma-san, I hope you don't mind, but Utau-chan and I are busy as of the moment." Kenta didn't know what came over him, but he felt rather smug all of a sudden.

Kukai's hands suddenly balled into fists and he had the urge to punch Kenta in the face, but his consciousness got the better of him and he tried his best and remained as calm as possible. "I see, then I hope you enjoy your day." He looked at Utau, his face bearing no emotion but his eyes showed hurt and he felt betrayed.

"Kukai! Wait!" Utau tried to call him back, but he was already walking away and he couldn't bear to turn around and look at her without one of them getting hurt.

Kukai heard his name being called, but he knew that it was best if he didn't turn back. He knew he would regret it if he did. He continued to walk back to where he came from and passed Rhythm's shop. He had originally come from the market and was buying supplies when he decided to walk around town and come back for his stuff as Rhythm prepared everything, he wished he hadn't gone for that walk, so he didn't have to see Utau laughing with Kenta.

"Kukai?" he refused to face the person speaking, but he knew who it was. It was Rima, and she if she was here then that usually meant that Nagihiko was here too.

"…" he stayed silent and didn't know how to reply.

"Oi Kukai! Stop acting like you didn't hear me!" Rima told him, but he still refused to face her.

"Rima-chan?" It was Nagihiko this time, and Kukai knew he heard her. "Is everything alright? I heard you yelling."

"It's Kukai. Something's wrong with him and he's ignoring me as if I'm not here." Said Rima.

"Souma-kun?" Naigihiko was now facing him, he knew that. Kukai still refused to look at them. "Is everything alright?"

"I need to be alone right now." Said Kukai, and that was the only thing that he said before walking away.

"Wait! Souma-kun!" Nagihiko called after him, but even he knew that there was no way Kukai would just suddenly turn back.

"What the heck happened to him?" asked Rima confused.

"I think I know." Said Nagihiko as he set his sights on a pair in the distance. Even where he was standing, he saw Utau there with Kenta, and Nagi knew that she had followed Kukai, but for some reason didn't approach him.

"Utau?" Rima saw them too when she turned to look at the direction Nagi was looking, and she suddenly felt uneasy. "What's she doing here with that prince?"

"I don't know, but whatever the reason, I'm sure it has something to do with how Souma-kun was acting." Said Nagihiko, and he was so sure of himself that he was willing to bet his life on it.

"She has a lot of explaining to do." Said Rima. She knew that whatever Utau did, she didn't mean to hurt Kukai, but seeing the pair standing there, she had a gist on the possible thoughts flowing through Kukai's head at the moment he saw those two together.

"Leave them for now. I suggest we see how Souma-kun is." Said Nagihiko as he turned away from the pair and ushered Rima into the direction that Kukai had gone "Explanations will come at a time, right now, let's fix what we can."

Rima followed suit, right after glancing at Utau and seeing hurt in her eyes. Whatever happened, she knew that no words were needed to see how hurt both parties were. It didn't need a genius to see that.

Utau had indeed followed Kukai, and Kenta being how he is refused to leave her alone. She couldn't believe he saw them together, and he finally got the wrong idea. As much as she hated to admit it, it was also her fault as it was Kenta's. She was having fun, that going over to Kukai's and telling him about the situation had completely slipped her mind. She felt terrible, but she also knew that he had to understand her side of the story sooner or later.

"Utau-chan, I don't see why we have to follow him." Said Kenta.

Utau stopped and looked at Kenta with a cold glare "My fiancée is currently avoiding me because of this scenario! Has that slipped your mind?" she asked angrily.

Kenta was a bit shocked and then he gritted his teeth in reply. "Why? Why do you try so hard? Am I not enough?" he asked so suddenly, he didn't even have time to stop his own words.

"Excuse me?" Utau looked at him bewildered at his sudden outburst. "Is this what this is all about? To win me over?" she asked furious.

Kenta immediately regretted what he said "N-no…of course not…"

"What?" Utau asked confused. She was too confused. One minute he was so angry, and so sincerely sorry the next. She didn't know if he had some sort of split personality or if he was seriously like this on a normal basis.

"Utau-chan I…" he didn't get to finish when she cut her off.

"Look, we'll talk about this some other time. I don't need any of this right now. What I need is to find Kukai." Said Utau as she ran off to some other direction, leaving Kenta standing there alone.

He didn't even bother to follow her or even call for her name, he knew she wouldn't come back. He watched as she disappeared with the small crowd and then he started walking away. "I lost…for now. I won't give her up to you Souma…I'll never just give her up. You win…for now." Kenta didn't know where the pent up anger came from, but as much as he didn't want to feel the resentment and hate that he began to harbor against Kukai, he knew there was no way of stopping it now.

**Back In the Palace**

Ikuto had gone back inside the palace with Amu. The two of them had decided to stay in today and just enjoy each other's company. Luckily for them, they had no bumps with Hiro recently and Ikuto would give anything to have things stay that way. But of course, luck isn't to be on your side forever. They were in the garden, just enjoying each other's company when Hiro suddenly arrived.

"Well, isn't today a lovely morning." Said Hiro approaching the two.

Ikuto shot him a direct glare and Amu simply gave him a small smile. She didn't want to see him, but she couldn't tell him that, at least not if she didn't want some kind of fight to break out.

"What are you doing here?" Ikuto hissed.

"Why the face? No need to start a fight where it's not needed." Hiro stated. "I only wanted to see Amu-chan."

"Amu? Why her?" asked Ikuto. His eyes still cold and dead as he looked at him.

"Why me?" asked Amu shocked as well.

"I'm quite sure that I made my intentions clear, yes?" Hiro told them "I am not here to just sit around and do nothing."

"Hiro-san…" Amu started "Are you really planning to take me away from Ikuto?"'

Ikuto stared at Amu, rather startled with the sudden question, but didn't say anything. "I want to know…what is that you want." She asked him again.

"Well, to be frank, yes. Taking you away from him is my intention, but I don't plan on doing it without proving to you that I am worthy of you, much more than he is." Said Hiro as he looked at Amu seriously.

"…" Amu stayed silent for a while and then sighed "Would it be too hard for you to just give up on me? I…I'm happy with Ikuto and…"

"I will never give you up to him!" Hiro suddenly exclaimed. His face was hard and cold, seriousness filled his eyes.

Amu and Ikuto stood there shocked at his sudden outburst. "Hiro-san…"

"Why? Why can't you see that I can offer much more for you? I can make you happy." Hiro's voice remained serious, but he watched his tone, so as not to scare Amu.

"I am happy." Amu stated simply.

"No, I know I can do better for you." Said Hiro "I'm sure of it."

"But why me?" asked Amu. "Why not anyone else? Surely there's someone else in your life?"

"No one. No one else has been plaguing my mind after I met you." Said Hiro as he looked at her "Why don't you remember?"

"Remember?" asked Ikuto and Amu at the same time.

"Remember what?" asked Amu confused. Have they met before?

"You've met before?" Ikuto asked Amu shocked. Why hadn't she mentioned this to him?

"Believe me, I would have mentioned it if I knew what he's talking about." Said Amu as she looked at Ikuto and Hiro.

"She has no idea what you're talking about. Want to explain?" Ikuto stated as he looked over at Hiro.

"I don't need to explain myself to you." Hiro told them "I don't need to force you to remember. I'm quite sure that you will, in time. Right now, my best intention is to make you realize that I can make you happier."

"If you think you can just waltz in here and take her away from me, you've got another thing coming." Said Ikuto with a smirk "Amu here won't go with you."

"…" Hiro looked at his two companions and then chuckled "I'm sorry but that isn't enough to discourage me."

"I'm not trying to discourage you when I know you haven't got a chance." Said Ikuto.

Hiro laughed and replied "Are you certain about that? I'm not the one to give up. Other than myself, my brother is also making a move. Don't underestimate us. In fact, I think my younger brother already has a head start."

"Excuse me?" Ikuto asked, and he immediately knew that Utau was somehow involved in this, and Kukai too.

"What did you do to them?" asked Amu, suddenly worried.

"I did nothing. Whatever happens to them is in Kenta's hands, not mine." Said Hiro.

"You tell your brother to leave my sister alone." Said Ikuto seriously.

"I will tell him no such thing. And do not worry, Kenta isn't doing anything illegal. We talked about this in front of the kingdom leaders remember?" said Hiro.

"Will you stop using them as some kind of excuse to do whatever you want?" stated Ikuto, Hiro was already getting on his nerves and he had to resist the ability to punch him.

Hiro smiled, deep down, he loved seeing Ikuto mad at him. It gave him more reason to annoy the man in front of him. "Anyway, I didn't come here for such pointless banter." He moved closer to Amu "All I want, is to win your heart." And with that, he took a hold of her hand and planted a kiss on it.

Amu blushed, both through embarrassment and the shock of such actions, Ikuto on the other hand wanted nothing more but to pummel him to death, but decided on his better judgment not to.

"H-Hiro-san…please let go…" stated Amu as she pulled her hand away.

"Hmm, it's alright. I'm not too keen on speaking with you about these things with him around." He stated referring to Ikuto.

"Then why not leave?" suggested Ikuto through pent up anger.

"Gladly." Replied Hiro with a smile "I'll be back soon Amu-chan. I will speak with you again…privately."

"You won't get the chance…" muttered Ikuto.

As they both watched Hiro walk away, Ikuto's blood was boiling, and Amu could feel it. She knew that this was not the last time she would meet him. And she wondered what he meant by her "remembering". After all, she doesn't recall seeing him before, or has she?

Once Hiro had disappeared, Ikuto and Amu immediately heard sounds of sniffling and footsteps that came with it. When they looked over to the garden entrance, there stood Utau, with flowing tears in her eyes.

"Utau!" Amu cried as she went over to hug Utau "What happened to you? Are you alright?" This was the first time she saw Utau like this, and she turned frantic.

"Utau…" Ikuto approached his sister and gave her a hug when Amu had let go, allowing Ikuto and Utau to have their moment.

Once she was hugged by Ikuto, she let her tears flow freely and she cried even harder. "Hey, it's going to be okay Utau, you'll see." Ikuto comforted her as much as he could, and he knew that whatever happened had "Kenta" writted all over it.

"No, it won't…no it won't." Utau stated through her tears and heavy breaths.

"Shhh, calm down, tell us what happened." Stated Ikuto as he hugged his sister tighter.

By this time, Lulu and Tadase had showed up, with Yoru and Kairi. They had all heard the sounds coming from the garden and were shocked to see a crying Utau in Ikuto's arms. "What happened here~nya?" asked Yoru worried.

"Utau-chan, what happened? Did something happen between you and Souma-kun?" asked Tadase.

Hearing Kukai's name made her tear up even more. "I hurt him, I can't believe I hurt him like that, how could I? Why? You were right Ikuto, I shouldn't have accepted." she said through her sobs.

"How? I doubt that Souma-san would get mad at you just like that." Said Lulu, and she was right. None of them knew of what Kenta had done, and none of them saw the hurt that Utau saw that was reflected in Kukai's eyes.

"I hurt him, I didn't tell him about Kenta and about me spending the day with him. He looked so hurt Ikuto, and…and I hid everything from him." Said Utau.

"You didn't have time to tell him." Said Ikuto "It's not your fault if he saw you with Kenta."

"But I was happy, I was having fun, I can't deny that Ikuto. But I felt nothing for Kenta, it must have looked like something to Kukai, but I wasn't able to explain." Utau wanted to talk to him, but when she got to their home, Daichi had told her that Kukai went off somewhere and wasn't home yet.

"Utau…" Ikuto didn't know what to say. He knew his sister was hurting. Maybe on the one hand, Utau never should have agreed to go out with Kenta without Kukai knowing, but on the other hand, he couldn't blame his sister for what had happened.

Amu placed a hand on Utau's shoulder and spoke "Utau, maybe it would be best if you went to Kukai's place tomorrow and explained things to him. I'm sure he would understand."

"That's true. Souma-san isn't the kind of person to simply pass judgment without having to hear everyone's side of the story. I'm sure he was just…hurt." Said Tadase, he would be hurt too if he suddenly saw someone he loved with someone else.

"I'm sure he knows that you were hurt too, he just needs some time to think about things." Said Kairi.

Utau simply nodded. She did intend to speak with Kukai, and she couldn't get the look on his face out of her head. "I just want to talk to him. I want to tell him that I love him…" muttered Utau softly to herself.

"Everything will be okay." Replied Ikuto. He trusted Kukai, and he knew that he wouldn't hurt Utau in any way, especially not on purpose.

"Come on Utau, let's all get some rest, you need it right now." Suggested Amu.

"She's right. You need to get some well earned sleep." Agreed Ikuto. "Everything will be fine Utau."

She nodded and let herself be carried in her brother's arms. "Come on everyone, let's all get going." Ikuto told them as he lifted Utau into his arms.

The others followed as Ikuto carried Utau into her room. They were all worried about what had happened, but they were sure that Kukai and Utau just needed to talk things out. They only hoped that things would work out for the better.

As night approached, no words needed to be shared. Utau had cried herself to sleep that night, hoping that Kukai would hear her out. Ikuto had silently been looking out his bedroom window wondering what Hiro was planning. Amu had drifted to sleep hoping things would work out for all of them. Kukai had a hard time sleeping, his thoughts corrupted with what he had seen and hoping that Utau would provide him answers and he knew that even he needed to give her an apology for his actions. Kenta had silently been thinking of ways to win Utau over, and a way to apologize as well. As for Hiro, he only thought of his next step, and was sure that he had a goal set in mind. He wanted Amu, and he wasn't going to give up.

That night was filled with no words, no one needed to speak to convey one's emotions. Everything was done through thoughts and even emotions. No words were needed to remind them of the love, anger, frustration, sadness and deep emotions that everyone felt. Whatever had happened was enough, and no words were needed to express their hope for a better tomorrow. No words, none at all.

**Authors Note: hey guys, sorry for the late update. And I'll be updating again soon. Sem-break just started, and I hope I can update faster. : ))) I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please Review and tell me what you think. Thanks guys!**


	11. Back On Track

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara **

**-hey you guys, I'm here again, and right before the end of 2011! This will be the last 2011 chapter and I hope you guys had a great year! Thanks for all the support you guys, and I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**-I wasn't able to update during Christmas so this is my way of doing so. I wanted to at least be able to update before the year ended and here it is =)) **

**-Please tell me what you think and I'll try my hardest never to take 2 months long again. Hopefully school won't be that bad XD my vacation's almost over so yeah…**

**-Before going on with the story I'd like to once again greet everybody out there a BELATED MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A JOUYOUS AND BLESSED NEW YEAR TO ALL! **

**Back On Track**

It was a day after the incident, and Kukai woke up feeling like a disaster waiting to happen. As the sun hit his eyes and he sat up from his bed, he let out a sign and looked out the window. He arrived rather late last night, and when he came home, Daichi was already snoring and tossing in his bed. He didn't bother to wake his brother up, so he just went to sleep without telling Daichi he was home.

He closed his eyes and remembered that how he had avoided Utau the whole day yesterday, not even bothering to see her and coming home, knowing that it would probably be the first place she would look. He knew what he did wasn't exactly the right thing to do. "After all, I was just a coward trying to run away from facing facts." He muttered to himself. But Kukai was, after all, only human. He wasn't immune to such feelings, and he acted upon instinct, which now led him to where he was and how he was feeling.

Immediately, he got dressed, and headed downstairs and wasn't surprised when he was met by his brother. "Morning Daichi." He greeted with a small, forced, smile.

Daichi looked at him intently, and then sighed, something was wrong. "Morning…should I ask?"

"Huh?" Kukai looked at his brother in confusion. "Ask what?"

"Doesn't take a genius to figure out something happened to you yesterday. So, do you want me to ask you what happened?" Daichi knew well enough of respecting his brother's privacy, and was never the one to force anything out of Kukai, unless completely necessary.

"…" at first Kukai didn't reply and looked somewhere else trying to avoid his brother's gaze, but then, he sighed and asked "What makes you say all that?"

"Well…" Daichi stopped what he was doing and continued "One, you came home late yesterday. Two, you didn't even bother to wake me like you usually would just to annoy me. And three, you look like someone who got hit by a running carriage. So, either something happened to you, or you just randomly chose now of all days to look like a guy who lost a gamble last night. Need I say more?"

Kukai looked at his brother's knowing look, and knew that he wasn't getting out of this one so easily. "Will it bother you if I don't tell you?" he asked.

"The right question would be, would it bother _you_?" Daichi told him. "I won't lose anything if you don't want to tell me, and I won't force you to either. But, how long will _you_ be able to take keeping everything bottled up before you possibly end up making some stupid mistake?"

Kukai turned away and replied "I probably have already…"

Daichi blinked in surprise "What? Kukai, what happened, and what in the world did you do?" he asked, shocked that his brother already did something without him knowing.

"…" Kukai sighed and sat down on one of the chairs and leaned his head on his elbow that he perched on top of the table. "I was pathetic yesterday."

"Pathetic? How?" he didn't really know what else to ask. And it's not every day that his brother calls himself pathetic.

"It went by like flashing images in my head, I mean, when I saw them together I just blanked out you know?" he stated with a deep sigh.

"No, I don't know. In fact, I seriously have no idea what in the world you're talking about. Mind making things clearer for me please?" he asked.

"I really messed up Daichi!" Kukai stated as he banged his fist on the table. "I can't believe I just…did that."

"Did what?" asked Daichi even more confused than before.

"Yeah Kukai, did what exactly?" Kukai and Daichi turned to see Rima, Nagihiko and everyone else from the Hinamori house standing there and coming inside their home.

"You're depressed again?" asked Ran "So that means this has something to do with Utau-chan right?"

"Am I that predictable and obvious these days?" asked Kukai with a sigh. He was stopping himself from continuously banging his head on the nearest heard board AKA the table.

"Kukai stop it!" Yaya came in with the others and she had a frown on her face. "You and Utau-chii have to make up now."

"I don't know if I can do that." Said Kukia "I feel terrible about what I did to her, and I cant really bring myself to just walk up to her as if nothing had happened."

"Then just apologize." Suggested Daichi. "I mean, what did you do anyway?"

"He's right. We want to hear the story too Kukai." Said Miki, and by now, everyone had positioned themselves somewhere in the house.

Kukai sighed and soon enough, started to tell everyone what had happened. No one interrupted him and waited until he was done talking before they shared their opinions on the situation. Rima was the one to speak first.

"So, now you two are just ignoring each other? No wonder you were in such a bad mood when I saw you. And then, you just run off somewhere." She stated

"But you can't ignore her forever." Said Yaya

"She's right. One way or another, you're going to have to talk." Said Miki "And you have to listen to her side of the story too."

"I just want to know why she didn't tell me." Said Kukai.

"Were you jealous?" asked Nagihiko.

Kukai looked at his friend and spoke "Would you blame me if I said yes? But believe me, it was more than the jealousy that made me run off. It was more of the feeling of betrayal. I know Utau wouldn't do that to me, not on purpose most especially, but a big part of me just wanted to know why she didn't talk with me about it first."

"Possibly because you wouldn't have said yes?" suggested Ran.

"Look, I already told you guys before. I can be a jealous prick if I want to be, but I allow her to make her own decisions. I just want to be a part of it that's all. If I see her doing something I at least want to know what's going on." Stated Kukai.

"And it got you so riled up and upset that you couldn't face her." Stated Rima.

"That's another thing I feel bad about." Admitted Kukai. "When she called after me, and I just ran off, I knew I should have at least stopped and listened to what she had to say. But with Kenta being there, I couldn't bring myself to do that because I know I'll risk doing something stupid."

"Then why not talk to her now?" asked Rima. "She wants to see you, and she's in the palace right now."

"In short, now's your chance. So, what's stopping you?" asked Daichi. He hated it when something like this happened and either one or both parties of the problem are keeping to themselves.

"I wanted to, but I figured that after what had happened, we just both needed some time to think. Other than the possibility of her not wanting to see me." Said Kukai. He needed some time to himself, and he was sure that Utau did too.

"Did you ever think that maybe she wanted to tell you that Kenta asked her to go with him and she never had the chance to tell you?" asked Rima.

"That doesn't take away the part where she should have asked Kukai fist before saying yes." Said Nagihiko.

"Possibly, but what if he was just as persistent. Then you can't exactly blame her can you?" asked Rima.

"Guys, can we not fight over this please?" asked Yaya.

"Look, they both have their own story to tell right? Then that means that all of this could just be one big fat misunderstanding." Said Ran

"She's right~desu. And we have to fix it before something goes wrong." Said Su.

Kukai stayed silent. He knew he had to do something, but he just didn't want to cause any more hurt than he already did. He heard Rima let out a sigh beside him and stated "Listen, the longer that you stay sulking here, the more opportunity Kenta gets to take over in cheering Utau up, and when that happens what will you do then?"

"In fact, she has a point. Who's to say Kenta isn't using this opportunity to his advantage right now? He would very well do it, seeing as he is infatuated with Utau-chan." Said Nagihiko.

"Maybe the entire thing was a setup to break Kukai and Utau-chii up!" suggested Yaya.

"Possibly, but I'm sure meeting Kukai during his trip with Utau was not a part of his plans. He simply got lucky. There was just no way he could have anticipated that Kukai would be there." Said Rima. "Unless he had someone stalk you, meaning he just got lucky."

"But that didn't mean that Utau-chan didn't notice the situation as soon as it happened." Said Nagihiko "In fact, she seems to be avoiding all contact with Kenta right now."

"And how would you know something like that?" asked Kukai as he looked at the others.

"Kairi came over and told us that after the said events, Utau came home crying her eyes out to Ikuto and Amu." Said Rima and then she got up from her seat and looked at Kukai with a serious expression "She was crying because she felt bad for going with Kenta and hurting you."

"…" Kukai stayed silent and said nothing, other than the increasing guilt that was building up in his chest, he didn't know whether to go with hitting himself as he planned earlier, or asking someone to hit him.

"Enough of this Rima-chan, he feels just as guilty as she does, if not more after what you just said." Said Nagihiko.

"There has got to be a way to fix this, but it has to start with you Kukai." Said Miki "You have to talk to her, or else nothing will happen. You do love her don't you?"

"Of course I do." He replied seriously and sincerely.

"Then what are you still sitting here for?" asked Rima "Go after her already."

"I.." Kukai still continued to hesitate.

"Look, do you want to get her back or not? Because right now, she's stuck in that palace with Kenta and unless you get yourself out of that chair, your moping won't do a thing to fix the situation. Now, why not, stop being a coward and move!" Rima was getting tired of this useless exchange of words and wanted Kukai to act! And darn right she was going to get him to move if it was the last thing she had to do!

For the first time since the incident, Kukai gave off a small laugh and a smile as he turned to Rima and the rest if his friends. "What am I going to do without you guys?" he asked them.

"You'd be lonely, miserable and pathetic that's for sure." Said Rima. We have to come here and drag you out of some type of stage whenever you and Utau get into some kind of misunderstanding."

"You're right. I'd be a mess." Said Kukai he smiled as he turned to his brother and asked "Will you be okay here alone for a while?"

"Sure thing bro. You go ahead and fix what you have to fix okay?" said Daichi "I'd rather you fix things first before worrying about anything here."

"Thanks a lot Daichi. That means a lot to me." Said Kukai. He started to get up and walk up to his room.

"Where in the world are you going?" asked Rima confused. "The door is that way." She stated as she pointed to the other direction.

Kukai smirked, for what seemed like ages, and stated "I know, but I look like a mess don't I? I can't go to the palace like this. I doubt they'd even let me in."

The others smiled, glad that at least Kukai was slowly returning to his old self again, and they only hoped that in the end he and Utau would be able to fix things between them.

**In the Palace **

Amu had been trying to convince Utau to come out of her room, and do something, anything. But she was failing miserably. She knew that right now, Kukai was the only one who was capable of doing anything at all, and he wasn't here…well, he wasn't here yet.

"Utau, please just come out." Said Amu. She knew what it felt like to fall under depression, because she had experienced it herself, but she never imagined Utau of all people to feel so down. It just wasn't like her.

"I'm just tired Amu, please just go somewhere with my brother or something. I'm fine." She heard Utau reply from the inside.

"No you're not." Amu softly stated and she finally gave up on trying to force Utau out, before she broke the door down.

"Any luck?" asked Ikuto as he approached Amu and she eventually shook her head and he sighed. "She's been like this since this morning. She has to get out, and to think it's only been a day."

"She just wants to see Kukai, and I'm sure he'll be here soon." Said Amu as she looked at Ikuto with a small smile.

"And what makes you so sure that he's going to be here today?" asked Ikuto.

"This is Kukai we're talking about remember? And I have other friends who can make sure that he does show up." Said Amu confidently.

"Yeah, well lets just hope that he makes it here soon before wither Kenta or Hiro do something." Said Ikuto and then he wrapped his arms around Amu and sighed "I knew we should have never moved the wedding. That way, I could have been married to you by now, and none of this would be happening."

"Well, we can't control time, and besides, maybe this is just how fate wants it to be." Stated Amu.

"Well, then fate must be pretty cruel to always make us go through all this trouble." Said Ikuto and then he smirked "Either that, or I was right when I said that you're simply just a magnet for trouble are you not?"

"Don't go around blaming other people Ikuto, it's not nice." Said Amu as he hit him playfully on the arm.

The two of them stayed there for a couple of minutes before Tadase and Lulu came into the picture and happened to pass by the halls together. "Hello there Ikuto-nii, Amu-chan."

"Hey." Replied Ikuto, his hold still on Amu's

"Hello you two." Replied Amu with a smile.

"So, any luck with Utau-chan?" asked Lulu, her voice hopeful, but then when Amu shook her head 'no' Lulu gave out a sigh and her smile faded. "When is she going to get out of there?"

"Soon I hope." They all turned to see Ikuto and Utau's mother there with a small sad smile on her face.

"Mother." Said Ikuto with a small smile of his own.

"Good day to all of you. I see there was no luck in getting Utau to leave her room?" she asked and they all nodded.

"Not to worry. He'll be here." Stated Souko with a smile.

"He?" asked Tadase. "Do you mean Souma-kun?"

"Yes. I'm sure he will come today." She told them "He isn't the kind to leave things unattended and hanging, especially when it comes to matters of the heart."

"And how would you know that mother?" asked Ikuto with a smile and questioning look on his face.

"Simple, I'm a mother Ikuto, and he might not be my son, but he's about to be. And I know him enough to see that he won't just leave your sister behind. After all, I dealt with you when you were in your teenage years as well, and you were much worse I might add." Said Souko making his sons scowl slightly and the others burst into fits of giggles.

"Was he really?" asked Amu as she stole a glance at Ikuto before looking at his mother.

"Yes. He was being rebel along with his sister during those times. Even after he hit his twenties." Said Souko and she looked at though she was reliving a memory.

"Was it hard for you?" asked Lulu

"Well, I never really understood why my children would do such things, but I eventually figured it out. Everything changed after they fell in love." Said Souko "And seeing them happy truly made me happy."

Everyone smiled after hearing and unknown to them, Utau had been listening too, or at least had been hearing bits and pieces of their conversation. After all, they were talking in front of her room. She smiled slightly, and knew her mother was right. Things had certainly gotten brighter for them ever since they found love in another, and she only hoped that her mother was also right in thinking that Kukai would truly come and speak with her today.

By the time that Kukai had rushed off to the palace, he was greeted with many happy squeals from most of the maids and other female workers. He laughed slightly and thought that, compared to the first time he's been to the palace to see Amu, it has definitely gotten a whole lot livelier now.

"Souma-san, coming to see the princess I presume?" Kukai was speaking to Musashi at the moment and he had been kind enough to accompany him.

"Yeah, and I hope that she's doing alright." Said Kukai.

"I do hope so as well. She was in quite a fit last night, as I heard from the rest of the staff. And they say she won't come out of her room as of today." Musashi explained.

Kukai sighed, he at least hoped that Utau had eaten something during their little…argument. "I'll go see how she's doing."

"Alright, best of luck to you Souma-san, and…do be careful. I don't know much but I happen to be a friend of Sanjo Kairi and he's told me that you and Kenta Terashima-san do not seem to be on…proper terms." Said Musashi.

"Yes well, things have sure gotten a whole lot complicated since they got here." Kukai told him, and he knew it was true.

"I do bid you the best of luck, I advise avoiding him for now would be the best possible solution to the problem." Said Musahsi with a small smile.

"Thanks." Said Kukai "I'll try that." And with that, he left to go find Utau and hopefully settle their troubles once and for all.

As Kukai briskly walked towards Utau's room, he was met with an unpleasant sight. There standing before him was Hiro himself, and although Kukai didn't want to see Kenta, that didn't mean he preferred Hiro either. He'd take the first option if it were possible.

"Hello there peasant boy." Said Hiro with a smirk on his face.

"You never get tired of insulting me don't you?" asked Kukai, bitter humour found in his voice.

"Not quite, see my brother won't insult you, so I take the liberty to do so. I'm only doing what I think is proper." Said Hiro "And that is to make clear to you of your place in the social ladder."

"Does your so called "social ladder" include the rich and arrogant freaks like you being on top?" asked Kukai.

Hiro frowned "You better watch your mouth boy."

"Or what? You're going to call your brother to help you create havoc? Aren't you already doing that?" Kukai was not getting beaten by Hiro and he knew it.

"Well, you should know where you stand. I think you already know that my brother is making his movements quite clear yes?" asked Hiro

"If you mean him going out with Utau, yeah, I was there so you've made that rather clear for me." Said Kukai.

Hiro smirked "Then you must feel rather…down?"

"What for? I do admit, that stunt he pulled? It caused quite a stir in me, and with Utau too, but nothing I don't think I can't fix." Kukai stated calmly but confidently. He knew what Hiro wanted, to see him cringe, and he wasn't going to give him the opportunity to see him that way, ever.

"Seems like things are starting to get interesting then." Said Hiro "I can't wait to see how things will turn out for you."

"I'm sure you'd be thrilled." Said Kukai, sarcasm present in his voice, but Hiro didn't seem to notice, or to care for that matter.

"You bet prepare yourself." Said Hiro "After all, my brother has just begun. He can give her anything that you can never give. Remember that." And with that, Hiro walked away with a satisfied smirk on his face, leaving Kukai to stare at his retreating back.

"Why the heck does he seem so familiar?" Kukai asked himself silently. It seemed to him like Hiro was showing more and more of his true self, and the more that he did, the more Kukai felt a nostalgic memory well up inside of him.

Ignoring the sensation that was wielding up inside of him, he shook off the weird feeling, and continued to head off to the opposite direction that Hiro had headed to and towards Utau's room. When he got to the door in front of her room, he saw Kenta standing there, with look on his face that made him look so dejected.

"Kenta." Kukai called, surprisingly, there was much little anger in there than he had anticipated.

Kenta turned and was not all that shocked to see Kukai standing there, and he just stared before speaking "It's no use. She won't let anyone in, not even her brother." And with that, Kenta immediately left.

"Maybe it's just because they're not the people she wanted to see." Muttered Kukai, not really caring if Kenta heard him or not.

Watching Kenta leave left Kukai with a new resolve for himself. This whole situation had to be set, and he knew that it wasn't about Kenta being involved anymore. He and Utau had a misunderstanding, and that was up to them to fix. Whatever happened, he knew he had to settle this, with no one else but him and Utau involved.

With this new resolve in mind, Kukai no longer felt any fear or any hesitation in wanting to speak with Utau. As he was about to knock on the door, one of the maids suddenly came carrying a tray of food.

"Is that for Utau?" Kukai asked.

"Yes, Souma-san, please do tell her to eat. She hasn't eaten anything today at all." Said the maid. "And with her not letting anyone in, there was simply nothing we could do."

Kukai smiled softly and took the tray from the maid, "I'll handle this. Please allow me to do so."

The maid smiled, said her thank you and then left. Kukai tried the first attempt which was to knock on the door, and he knew too well that it wouldn't do any good, to which it didn't. The second was to break the door down, but he wasn't that horrid. So, he went to the third option, he picked the lock to Utau's room. He and Daichi have done it some time before when they got locked out of their own house, and it was also one of the skills the two had picked up on their own. He had some sort of small pin to do that, and who knows how long he's kept that with him.

When he heard a 'click' sound from the door, he smiled. "Wow, that actually worked." He muttered to himself, but he couldn't keep the satisfied tone in his voice. He slowly opened the door and he let himself in when he heard no movement from the inside.

Once inside, he noticed Utau was curled up in her bed, wrapped up in her large blanket and her eyes closed. Kukai carried the tray of food with him inside and placed it on her bedside table. He sat down on the side of her bed and looked over at her "sleeping" figure.

"I know you're awake." He told her with a small smile on his face.

Hearing Kukai's voice. Utau suddenly shot up from her bed and looked at Kukai, who was now seated beside her. "H-how did you get inside my room?" she tried to sound angry, but couldn't do it in front of him.

"Well, I'd like to call it street smarts, but in a nutshell, I lock picked the lock to get inside your room." Said Kukai with a smile. "It's something I used to do whenever I wanted to sneak into Daichi's room, and when we got locked out."

"…" Utau didn't say anything, and suddenly remembering why she was locked in her room in the first place, she closed her eyes, and turned away from Kukai.

"Utau, please look at me." Said Kukai as he tried to touch her face, but she quickly turned away.

"I…I can't…" she replied, as she still refused to face him.

"Please?" Kukai knew it would eventually work if he kept this up, but he also knew that it wouldn't be as easy as this.

"Why are you even here?" she asked, her voice a bit cold in tone.

Kukai was a bit taken aback by her tone, but quickly recovered himself and stated "Well, to put it simply, I wanted the two of us to have a chance to talk. I wanted to see you Utau, and when the other people here told me that you weren't even eating, how did you think that made me feel?"

"…" Utau turned a bit a caught a glimpse of Kukai's face. He was worried, she knew that already but seeing him like this up close made the feeling worsen.

"Please just talk to me." Kukai knew he wasn't going to get anywhere if he continued to beg like this. So, he tried another, less friendly, approach. "Or, if you really don't want to talk to me, much less to see me ever again, you can just say the word and I'll leave, just look at me and tell me straight that you never want to see my face again and you won't."

This sent alarms to go off at the back of her head and her eyes went wide. Never had she thought that he would make such a request like that. "Do you want me to…did you…are you really that mad at me?" Utau asked. Her voice seemed to be void of any emotion.

"Of course not." He answered, immediately but calmly. "But from how we're doing right now, it seems as though you won't let anyone in…not even me."

Utau clenched her fists and then suddenly shot up to a sitting position, but her back still turned as she still refused to face him. "Why? Why did you even bother to come here? After ignoring me like that….and after what had happened….why…" Utau knew that a part of her wanted to be angry, wanted to find some sort of reason so that she had some excuse to be mad. She knew Kukai had the right to ignore her, but on her own part, she was just so mad, at him for ignoring her, and at herself for making it happen.

"Why didn't you tell me that you went out with Kenta that day I saw you in town?" Kukai shot back. He didn't do it in a manner that made him seem mad or cold even, but he did it in such a calm manner, that it hit Utau harder.

"…" And truth be told, she had no definite answer for that…except "I'm so sorry…I'm terribly sorry…Kukai." And even if she didn't want it to happen, tears started to flow freely down her eyes.

"I'm sorry too." That had shocked her, she knew he ignored her, but she also knew that he had the right to do so, therefore, she never expected the apology. "I shouldn't have just run off like that. I acted in a rash manner that resulted to us having this fight. I should have stayed and heard what you had to say."

Soon enough, she couldn't take it. She just had to look at him, and when she turned around, she was met with a tender embrace that she didn't want to be let go of. "I'm sorry, for keeping this from you, for not telling you, I'm sorry." She kept muttering as she grasped his shirt in her fists.

Kukai smiled softly, glad that it turned out this way. He was glad to finally have gotten through to her. "I apologize too princess, half of what happened was my fault, and I know that now."

"I guess, we were somehow at fault, the both us that is." Stated Utau.

"Yeah." Replied Kukai and then he looked at her and said "Hey, you know you have to eat now right? No wonder your getting skinny."

She laughed softly and replied "I'm not. And you know how much I can eat so don't try me."

"I know, but everyone says you haven't eaten a thing, and you know you have to. And smile now, I feel so terrible seeing you like this." He wiped the tears from her face and her eyes and then gave her a smile.

"Are you staying here tonight?" she asked him, her eyes rather hopeful.

"Hn, guess Daichi and the others would understand if I did, and yeah, it is getting rather late to just go back, so I guess I will be staying the night." He replied as he looked out her bedroom window and saw that the sun was already down.

It took a moment of silence between the two of them before Utau spoke again. "You actually came." She stated with a small laugh through her tears.

Kukai looked down at her with a questioning expression and asked "What's that supposed to mean? Did people here start making bets about me again?"

"No." stated Utau although, she wouldn't be too surprised if some of them actually did. "My mother was talking with Ikuto and the others outside my room earlier. She said that she was sure that you would come and see me today."

"Hm, your mother is as sharp as always. As expected of her." Stated Kukai with a smile. He was really glad that she was talking to him again. "After all, mother knows best right?"

"Yeah, I guess so." She said with s soft smile but her sniffles still continued a bit. She cuddled closer to him and sighed contentedly. This wasn't such a bad thing, and she knew that in the future, they may have more fights like this, but she also knew that they would get through it.

Outside of Utau's room, Ikuto smiled as he leaned his back against the door. "Looks like mom was right, they got to fix things on their own anyhow." He muttered with a light chuckle. He was truly grateful that Kukai showed up.

"So this is where you've been hiding!" Amu exclaimed and he placed a light finger on her lips to shush her.

"Quiet, not so loud. If Utau or Kukai hear us out here, one of them would probably freak." Said Ikuto.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know. But, does this mean that the two of them were able to successfully patch things up?" asked Amu with a smile.

"From what I've heard, yes, it seems that way." Said Ikuto "Come on, let's leave them here and head for the gardens."

"That would be nice. It's a nice night out." Said Amu in agreement.

As the two walked to the gardens, they were met with smiles from Ikuto's mother Souko, his father, Aruto, and the rest of their friends and family friends in the palace. Amu smiled and immediately told everyone the good news.

" I just knew that he would come." Said Souko happily.

"Well, you're mostly never wrong about such things." Replied Aruto with a smile of his own. Seeing his daughter in such distress made even him feel exhausted and worried to death.

"I guess all they needed the most was time to think things through." Said Tadase.

"She had us so worried, and I don't know what would have happened if he didn't show up today." Said Lulu with a sigh.

"I'd hunt him down and beat him to pieces." Said Ikuto "But since he's here, he saved me the trip."

"Ikuto!" Amu gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "This is Kukai we're talking about."

"Hey, I said IF he didn't show up." Said Ikuto with a smirk.

"Now, violence is never an answer to anything." Said Souko.

"I know, but we can't help but take precautions on these kinds of things." Said Ikuto with a shrug. And a part of him did mean it. If Kukai somehow didn't show up that night, Ikuto probably would have hunted him down.

Suddenly, a big BOOM was heard, and up in the sky, dozens of colourful lights exploded filling the sky with its own unique hue. Amu blinked, she's rarely seen something like this, and what was the occasion? "What's the occasion?" she asked, voicing out her thoughts.

"Hmm, who knows?" replied Ikuto as he suddenly held her closer to him. "Maybe someone out there just had a good reason to celebrate."

"Hm." Agreed Amu, and when she turned to face Ikuto she was met with a sweet kiss, and soon, their surroundings forgotten and all they had was themselves.

"Such a beautiful display." Stated Souko as she leaned into her husband's arms.

"Not bad for a job well done here eh?" Yuu asked Yukairi as they watched the fireworks explode into the sky.

"Someone out there must be watching us." Said Yukairi.

"Indeed." Yuu agreed with a smile as he continued to watch the colourful burst of lights in the sky.

Back in Utau's room, she and Kukai could see it too, just outside her bedroom window. "It's beautiful isn't it Kukai?"

"Yeah, as if someone's saying thanks or congratulations." Said Kukai with a smile. He continued to hold her close, knowing that she was the one thing he needed in his arms right now.

Meanwhile, in the humble abode of the Fujisaki mansion, Temari smiled as she looked contentedly at the fireworks that herself and Rhythm had released not too long ago. She looked at her friend and with a smile she said "May our message reach them. I'm sure everything turned out well."

"Oh don't worry, they'll be sure to get it." Rhythm said confidently. There was a slight to no chance the others would ever find out that they did this, and even they had no reason to do so, but for now, it seemed that after all the trouble and worry, they needed a gift. Because they knew that all of their problems were just beginning, and they had to enjoy the small happy moments while it lasted…for moments like this…never last forever…at least, right now, everything was right where it should be, well, for now…

**Authors Note: This is going to be my last AN for 2011. Hey guys, I hoped you liked that chapter and I'm sorry for taking a while but here I am. : ))) Please Review and tell me what you think, but that aside: (thank you all for the support during 2011 :D)**

**To everyone out there, to my readers, reviewers and other ff people :P I wish you all a JOYOUS AND BLESSED NEW YEAR. LET US ALL WELCOME 2012 EVERYONE. **


	12. According to Plan

**Disclaimer**: **I do not own Shugo Chara. **

**Hey guys, it's me again, and I am back once more. I am so sorry for taking this long and even if I want to update faster, school has been taking so much of my time lately, so I hope you guys understand. : ) **

**As you guys can see here is the next chapter. : ) The suspense starts now hehe. Thank you for all the reviews and I hope you guys continue to tell me what you all think. Ideas and comments and much appreciated. Thanks. **

**Now here is the next chapter! I'll try to update As soon as I can : ) Enjoy!**

**According to Plan**

Early morning in the palace, Hiro was rampaging all over the place. He was hissing at anyone who looked at him, and didn't even bother to greet anyone that came his way. No one dared approach him to begin with, seeing as he was in a terribly foul mood. It has been days, and he has been a silent as he could, but now he could no longer take it. He briskly walked towards his and Kenta's room and when he went inside, he slammed the door shut, so hard that it made the desk lamp fall off of the bedside table and a loud SMASH was heard.

"What in the world Hiro-nii?" asked Kenta as he stood up from where he was sitting.

"Don't talk to me in that tone right now Kenta. I'm in no mood for games." Said Hiro as he shot his brother with a glare.

"Oh yeah, I definitely couldn't see that." Kenta replied sarcastically.

"Will you just be still and leave!" demanded Hiro.

Kenta blinked and then he sighed. He went to his brother and shot him a glare of his own. They rarely had fights like this, and whenever Hiro was angry, Kenta just let it go, but he wasn't in any mood to want to put up with his brother's attitude right now either.

"Will you just calm down for a minute and please tell me what the heck your problem is now? Because if you won't, at least take your anger out somewhere else. Or are you forgetting that we are currently in someone else's home?" Kenta stated with a serious tone.

Hiro was slightly fazed by his brother's sudden anger and seriousness. Usually, Kenta just went with the flow, and this was definitely a new thing for him to see. Hiro sighed and replied "This doesn't concern you."

"Doesn't it?" asked Kenta. "Looks like it concerns quite a lot of people. Look at you, your rampaging like a maniac in someone else's home! So don't tell me that it doesn't concern me." Stated Kenta.

Hiro walked to the other side of the room and leaned on the wall with arms crossed. "We have to do something. If you want to be involved with me that badly then fine, but you have to help me."

"With what?" asked Kenta, and he knew this was not just a simple request.

"We need to get rid of the problem. And we have to do it quickly." Said Hiro with a grimace on his face "Or I'll never have her."

"Have her? Get rid of who?" Kenta asked until, in a matter of minutes, the whole thing suddenly began to piece themselves together and he sighed. "If this is about Ikuto-san and Amu-san again…"

He didn't get finish when he heard and saw his brother slam his fists to the wall "Of course its about them! Who else do we have to get rid of?"

"Are you insane? Have you just lost it?" asked Kenta incredulously.

"I assure you that I am quite sane." Said Hiro.

"Nii-san, don't even go there, please. I do not want anything to do with you wanting to just get your revenge on someone who hasn't even harmed you in any way." Said Kenta. Surely his brother was joking, getting rid of the prince?

Hiro looked at his brother and replied in a serious and cold tone "She's being taken away from me by that useless prince. Of course, this means that he is in the way. I must do something, or I'll lose her to him completely."

"Have you completely forgotten why we're here in the first place? We were invited to their wedding nii-san, the wedding! They are to be wed!" said Kenta.

"Hmp, that's some talk Kenta." Stated Hiro as he looked at his brother with cold eyes "Pray tell, why that information didn't stop you from interfering with Utau and Souma's relationship? If I remember correctly, they too are to be wed."

Kenta suddenly became quiet. It was true, and he couldn't deny that he wanted nothing more than to interfere with Kukai and Utau. He wanted the princes to look and him and not at Kukai or anyone else, but would he go as far as his brother? Would he do so much just to gain unrequited love?

"Well? Kenta, I know that you fancy her. I have always been looking at you. But it would seem that your current attempts of separating them have become rather futile." Said Hiro. He knew that Kukai and Utau have patched up, and he knew too well that Kenta knew that too.

"But I…I don't want to do anything this drastic."

"All is fair in love and war dear brother, and don't you think it's about time you and I claim our true place?" said Hiro.

"Nii-san, are you even sure that Amu-san is really the one?" asked Kenta "You could be mistaken."

"No, I'm quite certain that she is the same person. Even if she isn't, she will do." Said Hiro with a small smile.

"Do not use her to satisfy yourself Hiro-nii." Said Kenta.

" I know what I'm doing Kenta. I want to fight for her, even if I have to use all means possible. No longer will I let someone get taken away from me." Said Hiro "And not some prince will stand in my way."

"Hiro-nii…" Kenta didn't want it to go this way. He knew his brother was better than this.

"Now, it is your time to choose Kenta." He looked at his brother seriously. "Either you are with me, or you are against me. I will not let you interfere Kenta."

Kenta sighed, as much as he knew what his brother was doing was wrong, he knew what Hiro had gone through, and he didn't have it in his heart to leave his brother to fight alone. "I wont leave you, but I do hope that you come to rethink your decision."

"You know that it's impossible for that to happen." Said Hiro "It has become too late for change."

"Nothing is far too late Hiro-nii." Said Kenta.

"Or so they say." Replied Hiro "Don't worry Kenta, after all of this, the princess will see you."

"It's no longer about that, is it?" asked Kenta quietly.

Ignoring him, Hiro walked over to the window and looked outside. There he saw that the clouds had begun to darken, and the atmosphere had become rather eerie and gloomy. "Now is the time, and we must hurry. I'll put my plans in action."

Kenta could only watch as his brother had a new glint in his eyes. Not knowing what else to do, he nodded his head and focused on the floor, answering "Yes, of course."

**In Town**

Utau suddenly felt a shiver run down her spine, and something told her it wasn't just because of the cold wind that was brewing. She placed her hands around herself and shivered. Something just didn't feel right. "what's going on now?" she asked herself.

Suddenly, she felt two strong arms wrap around her thin frame. "Hey there."

"Kukai." She said with a smile. She snuggled herself into his warm embrace and looked up to meet his eyes looking down at her.

"Hey, what are you doing here outside? It's getting cold." Said Kukai. They were currently outside his home.

"I know, but I figured some air would be good for me." Said Utau with a smile, "besides, it wouldn't hurt to stay out here every once in a while."

"True, but you've got to be more concerned for yourself. I mean, what if you freeze?" Kukai asked with humour in his voice.

"Oh yes, this cold is truly enough to turn me into a ice sickle." Said Utau with sarcasm and she heard him chuckle.

"Your humour really surprises me princess." Kukai stated with a chuckle. "You amuse me more than anyone, you know that?"

"Glad to know that I am the source of someone's laughter and entertainment." Said Utau with a small smile.

"No, you're more than just entertainment to me, you know that." He assured her, and he knew that even she knew that.

"I know. Makes me wonder what you would possibly do without me." She told him.

"I'd never live too long, it'd be too boring without you around. And who am I supposed to get married to then?" asked Kukai.

Utau smiled. She liked this, and for the past few days, she and Kukai have had more moment like this. She's been spending less time at home, meaning more time with her friends and definitely more time to avoid Kenta and less time to spend bumping into him.

The solitude and the silence was rather nice while it lasted but of course, all good things must come to an end. Footsteps were heard and then it didn't take long for its owner to speak and interrupt the quiet scene.

"Hey, as much as I enjoy you two getting along so well, the others are starting to wonder what you guys are doing out here and if you ever had the plan of coming back." Said Daichi as he smirked and looked over at his brother and future sister-to-be.

"Alright Daichi, we get it." Said Kukai with a smirk of his own. His brother just seemed to have the perfect timing whenever he was alone with Utau.

"Why is it that you always seem to show up whenever we have times like this?" asked Utau as she turned her head to face Daichi.

"Well, I am his brother." Daichi stated while pointing a finger at Kukai "And I live to make parts of his life embarrassing. That's what brothers are for."

"Well, I can't say I disagree. Ikuto gladly fits that definition." Said Utau with a grin and they chuckled.

"Come on. Lets both go inside. I'm sure everyone really is waiting for us right now." Said Kukai as he let her go but took her hand in his, in which she complied to, and the both of them walked inside together with Daichi following right behind them.

Once they went inside, they were immediately greeted by their friends. They sat down on a round table and was served with some food by Su. They sat facing their friends and began to talk about certain things on their current agenda.

"Oh yeah, where are Amu and Ikuto?" asked Ran

"Ikuto said that he and Amu had to go somewhere today, and I think I know where." Stated Utau with a smile.

"She always spends her time with him now doesn't she?" asked Dia with a smile.

"As long as she's happy then I have no complaints about that." Said Kukai and the others nodded their heads in agreement.

"So, Utau-chan, where are Amu and Ikuto-kun anyway?" asked Miki.

"Hn? Those two are probably in their special spot right now." Said Utau with a smile "Ikuto always takes Amu there when he wants to spend some alone time with her. He's probably playing the violin right now…"

**With Amu and Ikuto **

Ikuto suddenly stopped short when he suddenly slipped and hit a wrong note on his violin. He blinked several times before he saw Amu staring at him confused. The slight shrieking sound caused by the violin a few seconds back was not a mistake that Ikuto usually made.

"Is something wrong?" asked Amu and then she smiled "You never make mistakes like that nowadays do you?"

"No." replied Ikuto as he lowered his instrument for a moment "I don't. I wonder what happened. Guess I made a small mistake this time."

"Maybe someone's talking about you?" suggested Amu with a shrug.

"Don't you usually bite your tongue when things like that happen?" asked Ikuto.

"Well yes, but who knows?" said Amu with a smile. "I could name a number of girls who probably talk about you all the time."

Ikuto chuckled and walked towards his fiancée with a smile. He leans closer to her face and whispers. "It doesn't matter. If there was one person I would want to always be talking about me, that would be you."

"I don't think I need to talk about you to anyone, seeing as I'm always with you." Said Amu in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes, well I like having you around." Said Ikuto "Somehow, it's more entertaining this way." He leaned in and gave her a kiss in which she gladly, but shyly responded to. She placed her arms around his neck and his around her small frame.

"I could never get tired of this." He told her when they broke away, his face still inches away from hers.

"Hm." She smiled at and leaned into his embrace.

Their musings of one another was interrupted when they heard one a bush move from nearby. Thinking that someone was in the area, Ikuto suddenly placed his violin down and walked towards the source of the sound. He moved a couple of bushes around and when he cleared the path, no one was there.

"What was it?" asked Amu curious and confused.

"No one's here." Said Ikuto. He looked around further, but still he didn't find anyone.

"Don't you think it would be unlikely to find someone else here to begin with?" stated Amu "I mean, no one else knows about this place except you and your family right?"

"Yeah, and none of them have a reason to be here." Said Ikuto. He was starting to wonder if he heard right or if it was just some sort of hallucination. But seeing as Amu had heard it too, it couldn't have been.

"Maybe it was a squirrel or something like that." Amu suggested.

"Maybe." Ikuto couldn't be too sure. He knew that no normal person would be able to just disappear, and Amu had a point. Maybe it was just a squirrel.

"Ikuto?" asked Amu "You okay?"

"Yeah." He replied and then sighed. "Just forget about it, maybe I was just hearing things."

"I'm sure it wasn't anything we had to worry about." Said Amu with a smile.

"Right." He gave her another smile before walking to her side and picking up his instrument to play her another tune.

**Back at the Palace **

Kenta paced back and forth inside his room, as he waited for his brother's arrival. He didn't know what Hiro was up to right now seeing as his brother wouldn't let him in on the details, but he did know one thing, Hiro's time of doing nothing was up. His brother was dedicated to do what he wanted and was now making a move, and he himself couldn't do a thing to put a stop to it.

When he heard the door open, he thought it was Hiro and simply spoke up, his back turned from the door. "Nii-san, are you sure this is the right thing to do? Someone could get hurt…" he muttered the last part and stopped completely when he heard a different voice reply.

"Excuse me?" Kenta turned to find Lulu there with a confused and doubtful expression on her face.

"Lulu-san!" Kenta exclaimed.

"Yeah, I was just going to call your brother and see and if the both of you wanted to join us for tea?" Lulu continued to eye him carefully. He didn't know how much she heard but tried to play it as safe as possible.

"Uhm, I'll be waiting for my brother. We'll follow suit shortly." Said Kenta with a smile, at least, the best one that he could muster up at the moment.

Lulu blinked. Kenta was acting odd, she didn't need to be a genius to know that, but why? "Ok, we'll be waiting in the gardens then, if ever you decide to come."

"Thank you for taking the time to invite us." Said Kenta.

"You're welcome." Replied Lulu as she walked out of the room without asking any more questions.

Kenta sighed as he watched Lulu leave the room. He was so close into making the ultimate mistake and exposing them to another party involved. Not too long after Lulu had left, he heard the door open again and this time he made sure to look. He sighed in relief when he saw that is was his brother that entered the room and not anyone else.

"Kenta, you look rather relived to see me. I wasn't gone that long, was I?" Hiro asked his brother with a confused look on his face.

"Not quite, but Lulu-san had come here not too long ago, and she was asking me to invite you to tea with them. The both of us, that is." Said Kenta.

"Oh? Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt, and it would make things less troublesome if they won't be pestering us about not being there. I suppose we could go." Said Hiro.

"Where did you head off to anyway Nii-san?" asked Kenta.

"I went to speak with a…acquaintance of mine. Said Hiro with a smile "He'll be helping me with my little plan for our dear friends."

Kenta suddenly dint feel so good. "Nii-san you didn't hire anyone to…" before he could finish, Hiro notced the look on his face and sighed.

"Relax Kenta, I'm not too cruel. Not yet. I only asked him to help me clean up a couple of things that may make the situation more complicated." Said Hiro.

"So we're going then?" asked Kenta.

"Yes. It's quite troublesome and annoying, but we might as well take their offer." Said Hiro. He began to walk towards the door again when Kenta stopped him momentarily.

"Nii-san." Kenta called. Hiro turned and gave his brother a look that asked "what?"

"What is it that you're planning exactly?" Kenta asked.

Hiro gave his brother s smirk and then replied "No need to worry yourself over it. By tomorrow, things will change, that I can assure you."

"Change?" asked Kenta.

"Yes, and don't you worry dear brother, I haven't forgotten our deal. I will make sure that the princess sees that she is fit for you, and only for you." Said Hiro as he opened the door and walked out the room.

"Wait, that's not what I…" he was met with the sound of the door slamming, before he could even finish "…meant."

When Hiro walked out, he didn't know what to do. Knowing his brother, he was stalling for something bigger to take place, and if Hiro kept his word, something would definitely happen tonight, something big. And all he could do now, was wait. He followed suit in going to the gardens after his brother, and hopefully he didn't need to prepare for the worst.

The day went on for everyone as normally as possible. Utau and Kukai went back to the palace later that afternoon only to find it nearly empty. Utau had to meet with her parents for a while so Kukai was left to wander around on his own. As he walked the halls of the palace, he was met with a familiar face, and was greeted with a smile.

"Tara-chan!" Kukai greeted with a big grin.

"Souma-san!" Tara had seen Kukai from a distance away and knew who he was in an instant. "How are you?"

"I should be asking you that." Replied Kukai with a chuckle. "We rarely get to see you around here, more so get to have a chance to actually talk to you."

"Hm, I've been pretty busy." Said Tara.

"What have you been up to?" asked Kukai.

"Well, I have taken up a job with Yukairi-san and Kairi-kun recently. They've been very kind to offer me such a task. I've been helping them with their line of work." Said Tara with a smile.

"And it looks to me like you're having lots of fun." Said Kukai.

"I am. I never got to do things like this back at home." Said Tara "Mai, Ryo and I usually were served and never got to do things for ourselves." Her tone suddenly became uneven and Kukai didn't have to ask why. He could just imagine what it felt like for her to have lost her siblings, to have felt betrayed.

"Tara-chan, have you had any contact with your parents lately?" asked Kukai, he truly was concerned, she was, after all, one of those who lent a big hand to help them.

"Yes" she smiled "I spoke to them just a few days ago, and they seem to be happier now. And they have no objections of me moving here."

"Eh?" Kukai was suddenly shocked "You're moving here? Permanently?"

"Hm, maybe. I was planning to buy a house somewhere in town. I like it here." Said Tara honestly. "I get to live a life completely different from what I'm used to, and it's become rather exciting."

"Well, whenever you need anything, our door is always open." Said Kukai as he gave her one of his handsome smiles.

Tara blinked and then she suddenly blushed. She rarely saw Kukai with anyone else than Utau, and although she knew that he was taken, it didn't hurt to have a small crush on someone like Kukai. She wouldn't deny that she had, at times, admored him from afar, but accepted that he belonged to someone else and knew and hoped that one day, someone would find her. "Thank you." She replied sincerely. "You and Utau-chan are so lucky to have each other." She voiced out.

"Hm?" Kukai looked at her and noticed the redness of her cheeks and he smiled softly. He went closer and placed a hand on top of her head and gave her a small pat on the head. "You'll find someone. You're more patient than your siblings, you'll find him."

Tara, shocked at the gesture but rather thankful, smiled wider. "Thank you. You truly are a big brother to everyone aren't you Souma-san?"

"That's what I'm told." Said Kukai with a chuckle. "And anytime you need anything, any of us are available to lend you some assistance."

She nodded and gave him a smile, and their conversation continued like any other. It wasn't long after that Utau had arrived and gave Tara a smile of her own. She and Tara had been getting along nicely, and she knew the girl to be kind, gentle and rather quite respectful. This showcased qualities that her siblings never had and thus giving her a very welcoming atmosphere.

As the three of them were emerged in their own conversation, Amu and Ikuto had seen them and Amu decided to approach them, while Ikuto took care of a few things with the king and queen. She was welcomed by the three with open arms and they continued to converse with one another.

"I take it Ikuto took you to your special place?" asked Utau with a smile.

"Yeah, he played for me again." Said Amu.

"Man, he makes the rest of us guys look terrible." Said Kukai and the three ladies couldn't help but laugh.

"Now that's not true at all. He just happens to have his own unique…qualities." Said Amu as she thought of the right word to describe Ikuto's unique personality.

After a while, Amu decided to go look for Ikuto and meet him somewhere instead. She didn't want to keep him waiting for her, and she figured that she'd check the throne room if he was still there. Kukai, Utau and Tara bid their goodbyes and let her go off.

She headed to the throne room, knocked, and when she heard a voice telling her to come in, she was met with smile by the king and queen when she went inside. "Amu-chan, welcome." Greeted Souko as she stood up, went towards the said girl and gave her a warm embrace.

"Hello." Amu hugged the queen back and gave a smile.

"Is there anything we can help you with?" asked Aruto.

"Actually, I was just wondering if Ikuto was still here?" she asked.

Both parents looked at her and smiled before Souko answered "He just left dear. He said he had some things to do and he wishes to meet you in your room later if that's ok."

"Oh, alright." Said Amu "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Replied Souko. "Now, why don't you stay here for a few minutes and we have a little chat? Or, are you busy?"

"No, not at all. And if Ikuto is still doing something I'm sure he'd come looking for me if I don't show up." Said Amu.

"Yes that's true. My son can't seem to keep away from you." Said Aruto and Amu blushed.

"Aruto, don't torture the poor girl." Said Souko with a smile. "She's embarrassed enough when Ikuto is here, do you have to do such things too?"

Aruto chuckled and raised his hands up in defence "Now, don't get mad at me. I was just stating my point."

"Honestly, Ikuto gets his attitude from you." Said Souko and this caused Amu to giggle.

"Was Aruto-san like this too?" Amu asked.

Souko and Aruto looked at each other and smiled "You could say that I was as persistent as my son." Replied Aruto

Amu smiled, she loved having the chance to talk to Ikuto and Utau's parents. They were very kind and welcoming people and she learned to love them for it. Growing up without her own parents left her devastated at one point, but now she was experiencing a moment in which these people were willing to get to know her, to be her family, and she couldn't thank them enough. But thinking about her parents, she couldn't help but tear up a bit.

"Amu-chan, is everything alright?" Souko didn't fail to notice the tear the welled up in her eyes and suddenly was filled with worry for the girl.

"Huh?" Amu immediately turned away slightly, and wiped her tears. She gave them a smile and replied "It's nothing Souko-san, I was just…thinking of my parents for a bit."

They didn't need any more explanations other than that. Souko immediately hugged the girl in front of her and spoke "Oh Amu, I'm sure your mother and father are very proud of you, and they're watching over you. And for the time being, whenever you need something, we're here for you okay? We might not be able to take the place of your original parents, but you're still family and we do care about you."

"Thank you." Said Amu with a smile.

Meanwhile, Ikuto simply had to clear up a few things before had decided to head for Amu's room right after he finished his errands for the night. He assumed that she was probably in her room by now and she headed there right after she was told to meet with him. Once he got to her room, he went inside and found the room empty, but some of the lights were turned on.

"Amu? You here?" he asked, but go nothing as a response. He wondered if she was still in the throne room with his parents, but he decided to take a look around just to make sure.

He wandered around the room for a bit when he saw a small folded piece of paper that was neatly placed on top of her bedside table. He looked at it for a moment and curiosity got the better of him. He opened up the letter and was shocked at what he read.

_Ikuto, _

_I needed some time to think and get some air, I know you said we had to meet here, that's what your mother and father told me, but let's meet up in the forest area nearby. I love it there, and I knew you'd be looking for me. Can we meet up there instead? I'll be waiting for you okay? I just really needed some space. Thank you. _

_Love, _

_Amu_

Ikuto blinked "meet up there? At a time like this?" he wondered. And then he sighed. Knowing Amu, she probably wanted to grab some time on her own again. He placed the letter back where he got it and got out of the room.

On his way out, he bumped into Kukai and Utau, who were now alone together. "Hey." He greeted them with a smile.

"Hey there Tsukiyomi." Greeted Kukia and Utau greeted him as well.

"Where's Amu?" asked Utau curiously, she figured they would have met up by now.

"She went out." He replied.

"Huh?" asked Kukai as he and Utau looked at each other "Out? Where?"

"The usual spot." Said Ikuto "She said she wanted to get some air, and left. She left a note saying she wanted me to meet up with her there."

"Oh, well how odd." Said Utau "Amu doesn't usually go off this late."

"Maybe something was on her mind." Said Kukai.

"I'll go ahead and get her." Said Ikuto with a smile. "then maybe she'd want to talk about it rather than wandering off on her own."

"Okay, you be careful, it's going to be completely dark out soon." Said Utau.

"Don't worry about it. I know a shortcut." Said Ikuto with a smirk.

"Don't you always." Said Utau and then she and Kukai watched him leave and his figure disappear into the night.

Kukai and Utau headed to the throne room together, they were going to inform the king and queen that Kukai would be staying for the night. "Guess I'll have t see your parents after all." Said Kukai with a laugh.

"Yes you do." Said Utau "You've met them constantly now, so why do you still seem uneasy?"

"I can't help it Utau." Said Kukai as he continually walked with her hand in hand.

When they got to the throne room, the first thing that happened was for Kukai to utter incoherent words that confused everybody there.

"but…I thought…and he said…" Kukai was trying to get his brain to work, and this was not the right time for it to be malfunctioning.

"Kukai?" Souko looked at the boy and wondered if he was sick.

Kukai took a deep breath and immediately asked "Hinamori, what in the world are you doing here?"

Amu looked in shock, Kukai seemed annoyed, confused and a tad bit angry, but she didn't know why. "Must I not be here?" she asked.

"No!" replied Kukai "You're supposed to be with Tsukiyomi at your usual place, or wherever that place is, but not here!"

Everyone but Utau was now confused, Utau knew that Kukai was right. "Amu, didn't you ask Ikuto to meet you at your usual spot?"

"Huh?" asked Amu confused. "What are you talking about? I was supposed to meet him in my room after I was done here."

"Yes, and he said that he found a note saying that you were supposed to meet him elsewhere because you needed some air?" the last part came in as more of a question than it did a statement.

"Huh? Guys, are you sure you're not mistaking me for someone else?" asked Amu confused. "I certainly didn't leave any letter."

Utau and Kukai looked at each other, and when Utau gave him a knowing look. Kukai bowed to the king and queen, excused himself, and dashed out of the throne room, to find Ikuto, hoping, that he wasn't too late.

**With Ikuto**

As Ikuto arrived at their usual place, with violin in hand, he looked around and was shocked to find that no one was there. "Amu? You out here?" he called. He then heard footsteps from behind and when he turned around, hoping to meet Amu, he stiffened when he saw someone else.

"Hiro." He stated; his voice and his eyes turning cold.

"Welcome Tsukiyomi-san." Said Hiro with a smile. "So glad you could join us."

"Excuse me?" he didn't have time for these kinds of things right now. " Hiro, what in the name...what are you doing here? Ikuto asked.

"Oh nothing, I was hoping to meet you here, and how lucky I am that you actually showed up. My acquaintance has done his job well." Said Hiro.

"Acquaintance? What are you…." Before he could continue, he felt someone jab him by his neck, causing him to fall to the ground.

Ikuto was no fool, he knew he'd been set up. He knew he was about to pass out too. He mustered up all his strength and glared over at Hiro, who had a triumphant smile on his face. "I swear if you lay a finger on Amu, or any of my family, I'll…" his world turned black before he could finish and his head hit the ground.

"I'm afraid that you're in no condition to make such petty threats…goodbye for now…I'll come visit you." He bent down to get a better look on Ikuto's unconscious form. "And don't worry about your precious Amu, I'll be taking care of her now."

With that, Hiro looked at his accomplice and smiled. He motioned for Ikuto to be taken away, and Hiro walked away from the scene with a triumphant smile on his face. _"Finally"_ he thought. _"everything is going just as I planned…."_

**Authors Note: hello everyone. I dropped a cliffhanger here haha. Sorry about the long no update guys. I've been very busy. Even my social life has come to an all time low :P. Anyway. Please Review and tell me what you think. I'll be back soon, and how I wish it isn't going to take me this long. : ) Thanks everyone. Please Review. **


	13. The Depressing Aftermath

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA **

**-HEY GUYS. :D HAPPY VALENTINES DAY : ))))**

**-Okay so, here I am with one of my fastest updates so far after a long time of long term updates :P. I can't guarantee that the next chapter will come out as fast as this one, especially since I'm working on my projects for my last semester, but I will try my best. **

**-This chapter isn't exactly fit for a Happy Valentine, since Ikuto disappeared in the last chapter, so I'm sorry about that. Please don't hate me : )**

**-From here on out, I'm going to be adding some twists slowly during the next chapters of the story. And some of them, will hopefully surprise you :P. I'll be slowly building up the story per chapter just as I did with "When I Met You". And I had some suggestions from an **_**Anonymous**_** reviewer, and I could use his/her idea. A big thank you! **

**-So guys, I hope you like this chapter, and please do Review and tell me what you think :D I'd love to hear from you guys, and it would really make me happy to hear what you have to say. :D Thanks everyone. Enjoy!**

**The Depressing Aftermath**

Kukai ran towards the place where Amu was "supposed" to meet Ikuto. He was already panting and running out of breath, due to the fact that was too worried to think of anything else. He ran and ran, and eventually, he got to the spot, but found it empty.

"Ikuto? Oi Tsukiyomi!" he called. But no one answered. He sighed, he knew it, he was too late.

Kukai looked around the area and his mouth dropped when he saw Ikuto's violin case sticking out one of the nearby bushes. From where he was standing, he was lucky to have noticed it to begin with, whoever hid it definitely didn't want it to be found.

He picked up the case and held it up. "Something's definitely wrong. There's no way he'd ever leave this lying around here…what happened to you Ikuto?" he asked with a depressed sigh.

"Better take this to the palace before they come looking for me too…" he walked off back to the palace, not knowing how in the world he'd tell Amu that Ikuto was gone.

Back at the palace, Amu, Utau and her parents were feeling very uneasy. They've called in Yoru, Tadase, Lulu, Kairi, Yukairi and Yuu to meet them in the throne room. Tsukasa said he would soon follow when Kukai had returned. They waited patiently, and Amu was beginning to be filled with worry. Minutes later, the door opened to reveal Tsukasa with a small piece of paper in his hand, then followed Kukai, with Ikuto's violin.

"Kukai!" Utau went over to her fiancée and examined what he was holding. She could immediately tell that it was Ikuto's. "Where's Ikuto?" she asked.

Kukai shook his head sadly, "He wasn't there." He answered and showed everyone what he was carrying "I found this, it was hidden in the bushes. He wasn't there, the violin is inside."

"Ikuto wasn't there? Where is he?" Amu asked, she was getting frantic.

Not knowing how to answer her "Sorry Hinamori…" was the only thing Kukai could say to his dear friend.

"Ikuto-nii…disappeared?" asked Tadase.

Tsukasa stepped forward "No, he didn't just disappear Tadase. I would like all of you to take a good look at this." He held out the price of paper in his hand.

"And what might that be?" asked Souko, she was getting worried. Anything could have happened to her son, and they couldn't do a thing.

"I searched Amu-chan's room while I was waiting for Kukai-kun. I found this in her bedside table." Tsukasa then turned to face Utau and Kukai "Utau-chan mentioned to her parents that Amu-chan left a letter for Ikuto to read, and I believe this is the supposed letter."

Utau took the paper from Tsukasa and read its contents. After reading, she turned to everyone and stated "This has to be it." She faced Amu and asked "Were you the one who wrote this Amu?"

Amu looked at the note, and shook her head "I don't know anything about this."

"Then it seems to be quite clear." Kairi suddenly spoke up "It seems that we've been set up."

"Kairi?" asked Amu "What do you mean?"

"Simple, Ikuto-san saw that letter when he wasn't supposed to. Seeing as you didn't write it, it would seem that someone placed it there on purpose." Said Kairi and then he sighed "Which means that Ikuto-san's disappearance was no accident t either. It may appear that he was forcibly taken rather than he just disappeared."

"Oh my! Tsukasa we have to find him, he could be anywhere, who knows what could have happened to him." Souko was now panicking, she didn't want to begin to imagine what could have happened to her dear son.

Aruto walked over to his wife and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Then he looked over at Yuu and Yukari "Call the guards, tell them to start a search for Ikuto immediately!" he ordered.

"Of course sire." The two immediately went out of the throne room to alert the guards.

Souko couldn't help it, she was crying now, being comforted by Aruto as much as he could. Amu also broke down all of a sudden, and Kukai held on to her and to Utau who tried her best not to break down when her friend was already in hysterics.

"Tsukasa-san, is there anything at all that we can do to help?" asked Lulu.

"I'm afraid not. Right now, we have to focus on finding Ikuto and none of you are allowed to leave this late, and I will not allow you to involve yourselves in danger. I must also alert the others on the matter at hand." Said Tsukasa.

"We'll go with you. Tomorrow, we can go and inform Fujisaki-kun and the others." Suggested Tadase.

"Of course." Said Tsukasa. He looked over at Kairi and approached the young boy. "Kairi, I need your expertise now more than ever. I want you to get as much information as you can on this, especially on who you think would have reasons to do this."

"I'll do as you say, but may I have the letter as well Tsukasa-san? I'll try to start from there. Figuring out who wrote it would be a start." Said Kari.

Tsukasa picked up the letter that was dropped on the floor not too long ago, and handed it to Kairi. "Thank you for this Kairi."

"Not a problem, I owe the royals much, and I would never refuse knowing what could be at stake." Said Kairi firmly.

"It is much appreciated." Said Tsuukasa. "I'll leave it all to you."

"Of course. Please excuse me, I'll get started tonight and see what I can do." With that, Kairi bowed and soon left the throne room as well.

Tsuksa looked at the people that were left, he then approached Souko and Aruto and spoke "Souko, I need you to be strong right now. Ikuto will be alright, I know it, he won't let just anybody get their way with him, and I'm sure whoever did this isn't bold enough to be rid of the kingdom's prince."

"He could be anywhere Tsukasa, and I couldn't do anything." Said Souko.

"Yes, none of us could, and for that we are all guilty. But it couldn't have been prevented either way." Tsukasa held her as well and spoke again "I know it's hard, but you must stay strong, for Ikuto's sake. I do not bear to think that he would want to see you like this."

Tsukasa had managed to calm down the crying queen, but the tears would still continue to fall. Tsukasa sighed and simply knew that something was terribly wrong.

On the other hand, Kukai wasn't having much luck with Amu, and he knew that in a matter of time, Utau might end up crying as well, this was her brother after all.

"Hinamori, everything's going to be ok. We're not going to stop looking until we find him." Said Kukai, and he meant it too.

"He's right Amu, we will find Ikuto. You have to believe in him, and just have faith, we will find him." Said Utau, her voice was threatening to break, but she had to be strong.

Amu kept crying, and it took Utau and Kukai more than a couple of minutes to simply get her to calm down. Tsukasa, Tadase and Lulu tried their luck, and Tsukasa had miraculously gotten her sobs to die down.

"Amu-chan, it would be better if you get some rest for now." Stated Tsukasa as he placed a comforting hand on her. "Imperial guards have already been sent to search for the night, and more will resume the search by early morning. Please, for your own safety, get some sleep."

Amu numbly nodded her head and allowed herself to be escorted by Tadase and Lulu to her chambers. Kukai and Utau watched as Amu was escorted out of the throne room and into her own. Then at that moment, Utau lunged towards Kukai and clung to him for dear life. With her face buried into his chest, he heard the small sobs escaping from her lips and he held her tight.

"Everything's going to be okay, we're going to find him." Stated Kukai. He placed a light kiss atop her head and she let her tears fall freely in the comfort of the one she loved.

**Meanwhile **

The first thing that Kenta noticed when he was headed to his room, were all the guards that were suddenly running around the palace and heading out somewhere. He wondered what was going on, and why almost everyone was in a state of panic when he suddenly ran into someone.

"Ouch." He looked over and saw a girl, about the same age as he was, who fell to the floor due to their sudden contact.

"I'm sorry, are you alright?" he asked as he offered his hand to help her up.

She looked up at him and smiled "Thank you, Tereshima-san."

"Hm? You're welcome, and I once again apologize for bumping into you...miss…?" Stated Kenta with a small smile.

"Not to worry, I'm perfectly fine." She smiled again. "And I'm Tara."

"Ah, Tara-san then." Said Kenta "And by the way you addressed me earlier, then you know who I am."

"Yes, well everyone in the palace knows you and your brother." Said Tara with a light chuckle.

"I suppose." Said Kenta in agreement.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Tara curiously "Wandering around in the palace for fun I suppose?"

"No, I'm afraid that's not it. I simply noticed the numerous number of imperial guards running all over the place." Stated Kenta "I wonder if there's a commotion running amuck in town…"

Tara's face suddenly fell "That's not the case." She told him.

"Oh?" he suddenly noticed her sudden change in expression. "Might you know what's happening then?"

"Word spreads fast around here, and it was not too long ago that I heard about it myself." Stated Tara "News broke out about Ikuto-san's sudden disappearance not too long ago."

Kenta's eyes widened immediately "Disappearance?"

"Yes, it would seem that he went off near the forest area, along the palace roads, and never returned." Said Tara "And now his majesty has ordered all imperial guards on high alert and to have an immediate search for their missing son."

"And how is Amu-san dealing with this?" asked Kenta, he just knew this had his brother's name written all over it.

Tara shook her head. "I do not know much, but I saw her looking devastated, and her eyes red from crying. She was escorted by Tadase-san and Lulu-san to her chambers."

Kenta clenched his fists and asked "Was…was there any news on how or what the cause of the disappearance was?"

"No, none for the time being, but many believe that it was a set up and not a mere accident." Said Tara. She had heard Yukairi and Yuu talking about it before she bumped into Kenta.

"I see." Kenta didn't know what to think. He knew that his brother wanted nothing more than to claim his victory, but at the same time, he never would have expected this. Kenta sighed and immediately excused himself from his companion "I apologize, I must take my leave, my brother must be waiting for me."

"Oh, yes. I should be the one to apologize, for taking up so much of your time." Said Tara. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Tara-san." Said Kenta, and without another word, he walked away. He needed to speak to his brother, and he needed to do it now.

**The Next Morning **

Nagihiko woke up when the sun hit his eyes, he immediately got himself ready for the day. He knew that Amu and the rest of their friends would be visiting today, and he had no time to lose. Once he was finished preparing himself, he walked out of his room and noticed that no one else seemed to be awake "Must have been too early." He muttered to himself. So, he went to the kitchen, got a slice of bread and began munching on it while he walked outside to the front gate to see if there were any messages.

Once he got outside, facing the gate, his mouth hung wide open and the bread dropped and lay forgotten on the floor. Plastered on the Hinamori house's front gate was a notice, that stated:

_**NOTICE: YOUNG HIGHNESS TSUKIYOMI IKUTO-MISSING**_

_**~His royal highness has suddenly disappeared sometime last night without a trace. All that was found in the scene was his beloved violin, even his said fiancée is left without a clue of his whereabouts. A reward is guaranteed for those who can locate the prince, and the imperial guards have been sent to direct a search party around town. If a citizen is to have a trace on his whereabouts, he is to notify the guards or the castle immediately.~ **_

The notice was sealed with the king's seal, and an image of Ikuto which meant that this was definitely not a prank. Nagihiko took the notice from the gate, and ran inside as fast as he could. Once inside, he knocked on the doors of each of his friend's rooms and called for them to wake up.

One by one, they came out of their rooms and met Nagihiko with sleepy eyes. They went to the mansion's lobby and Nagihiko stood there, with dread on his face. "Nagi? Are you okay?" Rima asked.

"Yeah, and what's the deal? It's so early in the morning. I know Amu-chan was supposed to come but…" Miki didn't get to finish when Nagihiko suddenly flung the piece of paper right in front of their faces. All of them were silent and huddled to read the piece of paper that Nagihiko was trying to show them. Immediately their faces fell and gasps of shock could be heard.

"Nagi, when did you get this?" asked Rima as she took the paper from his hands and read it over and over again, hoping that she was hallucinating.

"Just some time ago, when I woke up, I went out afterwards to check if we had any mail for today, and then I see that plastered on the gate of the mansion." Said Nagihiko. "I couldn't believe my eyes either."

"This is insane. Where in the world would he disappear to anyway?" asked Miki.

"And just leave Amu-chan? I don't think he'd do that. He knows what we would do to him if he did." Said Ran.

"But, if that's so then what happened~desu?" asked Su "And how is Amu-chan taking this."

"I have a feeling we'll be the one's going to the palace today and not the other way around." Said Miki.

"Hey wait, it says here that Ikuto's violin was found there right? Then something's definitely not right. That was a memorabilia from his dad, he wouldn't just leave it lying there." Stated Rima as she faced her friends.

"True, so does that mean that Ikuto didn't run away?" asked Ran.

"Doubt it, he isn't the type of guy to just disappear without a trace." Said Nagihiko as he shook his head.

"I think that it's high time we take a visit to the palace." Suggested Dia.

"Agreed. Let's all meet back at the front gate after everyone gets ready." Said Miki and they all nodded in agreement.

That said, each one of them made haste and began to dress themselves and get ready to go to the palace. Once they were all ready to go, as promised they met up at the front gate and decided to fetch Yaya and Daichi before they headed to the palace.

They weren't surprised that the news had already spread so fast. After all, this was a busy town and people never failed to gossip about the latest news. Once they reached Daichi and Yaya, all of them headed straight for the palace, hoping to get some answers.

**Back at the Palace **

Unlike the busy townsfolk who woke up bright and early that morning, the residents of the palace were still asleep, some of which have just woken up that morning, especially after all the events that happened the previous night. One of these residents being, no other than Kukai.

It was very rare for Kukai to have stayed overnight at the palace, for he preferred to stay at home with his brother due to familial and other unwanted relations with some of the nobles. But last night, he made an exception to stay over, especially after what had happened.

Kukai got up when the sun hit his eyes and he groaned. He started to sit himself better on the bed when he felt someone tighten their grip on his shirt. He also didn't fail to notice the added weight he had on his body. Suddenly curious he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked to his side, only to find his lovely fiancée clinging to him, as if for dear life.

"Utau?" Kuaki exclaimed and immediately shut his mouth, worried that he might wake the sleeping girl beside him. He muttered "What am I…." he took a better look around the room, noticing that they were in Utau's room, and not on his own, he blushed, and then sighed. "Oh yeah…I remember now…"

_Flashback: The Night Before _

_Kukai had taken Utau to her room to get some rest that night, and she willingly let herself be carried, too depressed about what had happened to bother arguing with her fiancée. Kukai gently released his hold on her and gently placed her on top of her bed. _

"_There you go. Wait here for a minute okay? I'll go get you a glass of water." He said with a smile and he got up and left to get her water. _

_Utau silently mused on his absence, and of Ikuto's sudden disappearance. She lied down in her bed, hugging her knees tightly to herself and her tears still continued to stream down her face. More than anything, Utau hated looking and feeling so weak. She's always been an independent person, and before Kukai and the others showed up she wanted it to stay that way. At least, she thought, she would be responsible for herself and have only herself to blame when things went wrong. _

_Now though, Utau had a different perception in life. She had people who cared about her now, who loved her, and who were willing to guarantee her safety. She smiled for a moment and remembered, now, she was finally happy. A frown soon came upon her pretty face, and she asked herself "why can't happiness go on forever? Why does something always has to end up destroying it for someone else?" __Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her door open. She slowly sat up from bed and looked over to find Kukai with the glass of water that he promised to bring her. _

_"Here you go, drink this." He handed her the glass, which she accepted and took a few sips from._

"_Feeling better?" he asked her, as he sat down beside her on her bed. _

"_A bit." She replied softly. She placed the glass on her bedside table and sighed. _

_Kukai smiled sadly and suddenly held her tight. He saw the dullness her eyes had acquired from all the crying she had done, and he could only assume that all of the family members were doing the same. _

"_What's going to happen now?" asked Utau in her usual serious tone, but voice still soft, she knew the answer, but somehow she wanted to ask. Before she wouldn't have cared what other people would have thought, but now, she needed the assurance, the certainty, and the comfort, for some reason she felt so vulnerable, she hated it. _

"_I don't know…the best thing we can do is to start looking for Ikuto." stated Kukai. To be honest, he didn't really know what to say, his brother wasn't the one missing right now, it was hers, but he knew the feeling. After all, just months ago, Amu herself had gone missing, and he knew how bad he felt at the time. _

"_I hate feeling like this." She admitted to him. "But I'm sure you've felt it too, when Amu ran away, I mean." _

_Kukai smiled, she knew him well enough to remember that. "Yes, I do. But I guess it's still not the same. That time, Hinamori decided to run on her own, but now…" _

"_Ikuto has disappeared without a trace, how ironic." Said Utau "They used "Amu's" letter to lure him into that place, and now he's gone." _

"_I'm sorry…" he didn't know what else to say but that. After all, when he got there, he no longer saw anyone at the site. _

_Utau looked at him and shook her head "You have nothing to be sorry for, besides, it wasn't your fault." _

"_I know, but I can't help but feel like I could have done something." Said Kukai softly as he hugged her tight. _

_The two of them stayed in a comfortable silence, and for that moment, no one said a word. A few minutes later, Kukai broke away from their embrace, and turned to face Utau. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and spoke "You should get some rest. I'll be here tomorrow early in the morning, I promise." _

_He was about to leave, but when he stood up from the bed and began to walk towards the door, he felt someone tug onto his shirt. He looked back and saw Utau looking at him, and he gave her a questioning look. _

"_Somethin' wrong?" asked Kukai. _

"_Stay with me tonight, please?" she told him. _

_Kukai's eyes widened. "Huh?" he never thought she would make such a request, not like this anyway. _

"_Just, stay here in my room, I…I just want you here." She turned away, feeling of embarrassment creeping to her, making her cheeks burn. _

_Kukai smiled and he moved back to his previous spot and sat down on the bed. "I want to, really. But if someone finds me here, I'm dead for sure."  
Utau shook her head "You won't do anything….immoral…" Utau was trying to find the right word to describe it, she didn't want to use the term "violate", Kukai would never do that to her. "All I'm asking is for you to spend the night here with me in my room. No one's going to complain about that, you'll be sneaking in here by morning anyway." _

_Kukai thought about it for a moment and sighed. "Alright, I'll stay, but can you answer me this?" she looked at him confused as he continued "What brought this on?" _

"_I just hate feeling so vulnerable, and I figured that if I was going to be weak for one time, I'd rather you be here with me. I at least want to feel safe when I feel this terrible…." She told him softly._

"_You could have admitted that to me sooner princess, there isn't anything wrong with feeling weak every once and a while. It's a part of being human." Said Kukai with a small smile "And you don't have to act like everything's okay all the time when you know that it isn't. That's probably something Hinamori picked up from your brother." _

"_And that's something I picked up from you." She stated. Her eyes were still a big foggy, and she still had tears to shed, but she was trying her best not to look so weak in front of everyone, that she forgets that she can't be strong and always stand on her own. _

_Kukai gave her a kiss, in which she graciously returned. Kukai slightly pulled away but his face was merely a few inches away from hers. She could still feel his breath near her face as he spoke "I'll be here. We'll all be here. I would never leave you to deal with this alone. Remember that, you're not alone anymore." _

_Utau opened her mouth to reply, but she was interrupted when she felt his lips touch hers once again. She was very glad that they were seated on the bed and not standing up, or she was sure she wouldn't have stood long. He kissed her longer this time, wanting to assure her that he would always be there for her, and he knew that she felt it too. _

_Once the two of them broke away, Kukai took up a sitting position on the bed, leaning his back on the headrest, and Utau snuggled closer to his embrace. The two of them were enveloped again in their own silence, and it wasn't long that both of them had drifted to a deep sleep. _

_End Of Flashback _

Kukai sighed, he remembered now, he and Utau had fallen asleep upon her request that he stay with her that night. He smiled, for the moment, he knew she would be able to stay strong again. His face then turned into a small frown, as he watched the sleeping figure beside him, he couldn't help but wonder, how was Amu taking this?

**With Amu **

Amu laid down on her bed, her eyes were bloodshot, and it looked like she didn't get any sleep at all last night. She really didn't bother, and whenever she tried to get some sleep, she would just remember the fact that Ikuto was missing, and it scared her. She couldn't go to sleep even if she wanted to, for nightmares would be the only thing she'd see in her head.

She was curled up in bed, and when someone came in to give her something to eat that morning, she didn't even touch her food. She wanted so badly to go out of the palace and look for Ikuto, but she knew better, and knew that no one would allow her to do so after the recent events. "What am I going to do…." She asked herself.

The knock on the door had interrupted her from her thoughts, but it didn't do well enough to get her out of her depressed state. She heard the door creak open, but didn't bother to turn around and see who the person was. It was only until she heard voices that she noticed she had visitors.

"Amu-chan?" It was Nagihiko, that she was sure of, and she knew that by now, they knew the news of Ikuto's disappearance as well.

"Amu-chan may we come in?" This time it was Dia. She merely moved her head, hoping that they would see it.

Slowly, she heard a number of footsteps making their way inside her room, and not long after that, she heard the door close and silence envelope the room.

"Amu, we heard about what happened." She felt Rima place a hand on her shoulder as she said it. "We're really sorry."

She felt a couple more people come closer, and it wasn't long after that she felt herself being hugged from behind by her friends. She let her tears fall when she felt them there with her, but stopped herself, for the fear of getting a bigger headache due to all the crying she's been doing all night.

"If there's anything we can do to help…please don't hesitate to tell us." Stated Nagihiko "We're here for you. Always."

Seconds later, Amu finally turned around to face all of her friends. They all had worried looks on their faces, and things just looked worse when they saw how Amu had been. Some of them couldn't contain their tears as they saw Amu tear up from time to time, and majority of the females inside the room ended up crying a bit too.

"Amu-chan…" Nagihiko helped Amu to sit up from bed, and handed her a glass of water that was perched on her bedside table. By the looks of it, Nagihiko knew that Amu had not touched anything that was placed in her room that day, including the food and water.

Although not wanting to do anything to soothe herself earlier, she complied to Nagihgiko's request and took a few sips of the water that was given to her. The others watched in pain and in grief as their dear friend silently looked at all of them with almost dead eyes. They knew that right now, Amu didn't want to talk about it, and they wouldn't force her to either, but they did hope that things would be able to resolve themselves soon, or their friend might not just be able to take it.

As they continued to comfort Amu with their presence and assuring words that they would never leave her behind. Nagihiko and Rima had offered to get Amu something warm to eat, which she had agreed to by nodding her head. The two of them went outside of the room and were headed for the kitchen when they heard voices in one of the rooms that they passed. Rima looked over at Nagihiko and walked over to the room with the strange voices. Nagihiko followed suit and then when they were close enough, they heard two familiar voices speaking, or rather, arguing, with one another….

"Hiro-nii where were you? You're not answering my question, where were you last night?" asked a very furious Kenta.

"Would you please calm down Kenta. I don't think I did anything that would be a life and death situation." Said Hiro.

"What you're doing would end up as a life and death situation if you don't put a stop to it!" stated Kenta "Are you insane? You caused all of this?"

"Now, you don't have any proof of that." Stated Hiro seriously. To him, his brother was getting a little too nosy for his liking.

"Then answer me. Where were you?" Kenta asked seriously. He didn't like pinning things on his brother, but he was being so suspicious lately that it bothered him.

"I was out." Stated Hiro "I don't have reasons to need to explain myself to you. Just trust me."

"How can I trust you when you don't tell me anything anymore?" asked Kenta "How can I trust you when I no longer understand what's going on Hiro-nii? How?"

Hiro stayed silent for a moment and then he spoke again "I want you to continue to trust me Kenta, I know it might be too much to ask of you right now, especially with the current situation, but I am doing this for the betterment of the both of us."

"Betterment of the both of us? Or for the betterment of your own selfishness?" Kenta asked. He didn't mean to be so rude, but what else could he do.

"You're still my brother Kenta, and I want to help you as well. I can assure you that what I'm doing will help you. You just have to have a little bit more faith in me." Said Hiro.

"…" Hiro stayed quiet for a moment, not wanting to argue any longer, but then he asked "At least answer me this, what did you do Hiro-nii?"

Hiro's voice turned into one of amusement and satisfaction "I simply took care of the problem."

Outside, Rima and Nagihiko had heard footsteps getting closer to the door. They scurried away to hide behind one of the nearby areas, and when Hiro opened the door and walked out, he didn't suspect a thing. Kenta didn't leave the room, and a few minutes later, Rima and Nagi went out of their hiding spot and continued their original task, but never forgetting what they had just heard.

"What do you think that was about?" Rima asked.

"Hinestly, I have no idea. That's the first time I've heard them speak to each other like that." Stated Nagihiko as he held her hand in his. Even he was beginning to feel curious.

"Yeah, they're usually on good terms with each other right?" asked Rima and Nagi simply nodded. He was too occupied on his thoughts that when it finally hit him, he came to a halt and pulled Rima along with him to a stop.

"Nagi?" questioned Rima "What's the matter now?"

"This might sound crazy, but you don't think…Hiro is somewhat involved in Ikuto's disappearance…do you?" asked Nagihiko.

"What?" asked Rima shocked, but when she thought about it, the more she couldn't just rule out the possibility.

"Well, with what we heard, Hiro didn't seem to have come home last night, and if that were true…" stated Nagihiko and Rima's eyes widened.

"Then he wasn't here when Ikuto disappeared!" exclaimed Rima in realization. "This has to be more than just a coincidence."

"Yes, but we can't just make claims. That would be too easy, and I doubt that if he was involved, he'd make it that easy." Stated Nagi.

"Then what do we do?" asked Rima.

"We finish our task right now, and let's keep this to ourselves for now. We don't want to make any assumptions and in the state that Amu-chan is in right now, I don't think we should." He told her.

"But what if it's true?" asked Rima. If it was true that Hiro was involved, she definitely wanted to make him pay for it.

"Then I'll figure something out. Maybe I can talk to Kairi-kun and Souma-kun tomorrow. They'll be the most balanced people here right now." Stated Nagihiko "but right now, we have to keep quiet."

"Alright, but I'm definitely going with you tomorrow." Stated Rima and Nigihiko simply nodded at her request. Again, how he wished that he was wrong, the last thing he wanted right now was another incident, one with Hiro involved none the less.

**Somewhere Hidden In the Nearby Outskirts of Town**

Ikuto groaned, he had just woken up, and he felt like he went through a serious headache. As he moved around, he then realized that he couldn't get his arms and legs to move freely. He'd be able to move them around, but only to a certain extent. Then it had dawned to him…he was tied up. He could hear the chains that barred his feet and wrist, and as much as he wanted to shake himself free, he simply couldn't.

He looked around the area and noticed that he was in some kind of room. It wasn't a cell, that he was sure of. It looked more like an old, worn out room than it did a dungeon cell. So, where was he? Ikuto then heard the door open, and a voice that came with it.

"I see you're awake…" Ikuto had the feeling that this was the "accomplice" Hiro had told him about, seeing as it was not Hiro himself.

Ikuto looked up to see a man, older than he was, not completely believing that this man was his captor, and all he could do was ask "Who…are you?"

**Authors Note: Fastest Update In a LONG TIME : ) thanks to everyone who reviewed in the last chapter : ) Please tell me what you think about this one. Next chapter will be up as soon as I can. **


	14. Aggravated Emotions

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my OC's**

**Hey everyone. Late again. But seeing as I don't have a summer vacation…life's been hard on me. Well sort of. Advanced summer class + work = no free life. :P Saaad. Anyway here's an update for you guys! **

**Hope you're still reading this. Thanks so much for those who reviewed and sorry to have kept you all waiting. Please Review and tell me what you think. I added a couple more characters that are gonna play big roles in the upcoming chapters : ))) **

**Lastly there's a preview at the bottom so check it out if you want. Never wrote previews before so I'm not exactly sure if you'd consider that a preview. :D **

**ENJOY!**

**Aggravated Emotions**

The man that was standing right before Ikuto looked as though he was only a bit older than his own father. He had messy black hair and dark brown eyes. He looked tired, and his face already had a couple of wrinkles in them. The man had been staring at him for a while now, not even answering his question. Ikuto didn't like the company of this man, after all, he was the one who helped Hiro abduct him. But, he did feel pity for the man, he didn't know why he exactly felt that way, but he did.

"Who are you?" Ikuto asked again, clearer this time.

"No one you need to know." Stated the man.

"I think I have the right, after all, you've already taken me to who knows where." Stated Ikuto.

"I can't risk my name being soiled when you get out." He told Ikuto

"Will I? I don't even know if I can make it out of here without you and Hiro trying anything." Ikuto said with a glare.

"Hiro won't do anything to you, he's too afraid to try." The man had sated.

"Look, can I at least get your name? It looks like I'll be stuck here for a while anyway." Said Ikuto.

"…" at first, he didn't get an answer, thinking he wouldn't get one anyway, Ikuto just kept silent until… "Sai."

"Sai?" asked Ikuto.

"You asked for my name did you not?" Sai replied.

"So, what are you doing here working for Hiro?" asked Ikuto seriously

"That's none of your concern." Stated Sai firmly.

"Alright, fine. Here's another question for you, how long are you planning to keep me here?" asked Ikuto "Because just in case you haven't noticed, I don't like being tied up."

"I don't know." Sai replied.

"What do you mean, you don't know? How can you not know when you're Hiro's accomplice?" asked Ikuto, he was starting to get annoyed.

"Look, I don't concern myself to those kinds of details, and even if I did, he wouldn't tell me. All I did was do my job, and as of now, my job is to make sure you stay in here. For how long? I don't know." Sai looked at Ikuto seriously, and for some reason, Ikuto knew that he was telling the truth.

"Let me get this straight, so all you do is follow orders? And id Hiro doesn't tell you to do anything else, you won't? Did I get that right?" stated Ikuto

"That's right, but I do have my own reasons of cooperating with him." Stated Sai as he looked over at another direction. "You don't know him as much as I do, that boy will go to lengths to get what he wants."

"Then why work with him?" asked Ikuto, this man was confusing him more and more now.

"I told you already. That is something that's none of your business." Said Sai. He soon went back outside for a moment and came back in with a tray of food. It wasn't what Ikuto expected, seeing as it was edible looking and rather decent too.

"This might not be something that you're used to at the palace, but right now you're not really in any position to complain." Stated Sai as he brought down the food and placed it in front of Ikuto, and untied him. "don't get any ideas of running, you won't make it far."

"Don't worry." Muttered Ikuto "Not like I can go anywhere anyway, seeing as I have no idea where you've taken me."

"Now eat. You wouldn't want him seeing you like this." Said Sai. "When he gets back, it'd be best if you were done with al of this, or he'd have my head."

"How old are you?" asked Ikuto out of curiosity. "just wondering"

"Older than you, that's for sure." Said Sai "Just eat boy, and stop asking me so many useless questions."

"And here I thought you were bearable." Muttered Ikuto irritated. This man wasn't giving any of the answers he needed.

"You won't get anything from me, and Hiro's probably just going to enjoy himself while you're gone. He says he's visiting you later, best be prepared." Said Sai.

"I take it you don't like him either?" asked Ikuto, now this got him interested. If he as right and Sai wasn't too fond of Hiro, why the need to work with him?

"Me? Ha! I could care less of that lad. If he didn't have something for me in return, I wouldn't have it in me to help him out." Said Sai with a grim look on his face "He has something that belongs to me…"

"Oh? And what might that be?" asked Ikuto curiously.

Sai stood up and looked over at Ikuto with cold eyes "None of your concern, I don't know how many times I have to repeat it for you, but I aint interested in answering to you, prince."

"Not telling you to. It's just that you kept giving me answers that weren't too clear." Said Ikuto with a shrug as he took a bite of his food.

Sai stared at him again and then began to walk away "call me when you're done. I'll be outside by the door, so don't even think about trying something stupid."

"I already told you I won't." stated Ikuto as he watched the figure disappear from behind the door. Ikuto sighed as he heard the door shut. He stared at the food in front of him and wondered what he was going to do next. If Hiro had what he wanted, that would mean he would go after Amu now that he "disappeared". Thinking about such things made his blood boil, and he wondered how the others were coping with his disappearance, especially his family. He only hoped they were still able to cope. After all, he figured he had ways to go before he'd be able to get out of here, and to start he needed to know more about Sai…

**Meanwhile…**

Amu was finally able to get out her room. She didn't want to leave the palace, in hopes that Ikuto would return there soon. The others had gone back to the mansion, and was told to come any time that they wanted, but for now, they also knew that they had to give their friend some time alone.

As Amu was walking down the halls of the palace, she immediately spotted Hiro, and as soon as she did, she turned away to walk in the other direction. Hiro had immediately noticed this and he frowned. But, regaining his composure, he immediately went after her.

"Amu!" he called after her.

Amu immediate stopped, _"since when did I allow him to address me so informally?"_ she thought with a frown. Momentarily forgetting that Hiro was chasing after her, she jumped when she felt an arm on her shoulder.

"Amu, there you are. I've been looking for you." Said Hiro with a smile

"Gomen. I'm not in any mood for this." Stated Amu "I'm sorry."

She was about to leave when he took a hold of her arm and stated "No, wait! Please don't go."

"Hiro-san please, I don't have the time, or the patience to deal with you right now." Said Amu seriously. She was not in a good mood, and seeing Hiro was not uplifting her spirits as of the moment.

Hiro frowned. Amu wasn't even looking at him, and if she was, he was sure she was glaring. He sighed and let her arm go. "No need for such a tone Amu, I simply wanted to share my condolences on what had happened."

"Excuse me?" asked Amu shocked.

"I know that it hurt you, his you highness's disappearance I mean, and it seemed to have quite an effect on everyone." Stated Hiro "I wanted nothing more but to share your pain with you."

I don't need pity! Especially not from you." Stated Amu as she harshly turned away from him.

Hiro was too shocked to protest, but it didn't take long for him to reply again. "No, you seem to have misunderstood. I do know how you feel. I know what it feels like to lose someone important. Believe me."

Amu sighed. She might have seemed unfair to vent out all her frustrations on Hiro, but she really didn't need any of this nonsense right now. She turned to face him properly and spoke "I apologize, if it may seem cold of my to turn down the offer of your company, but please I want to be alone. I hope you give me at least that much."

"Of course, anything you ask for, I would be more than happy to comply." Hiro replied as he gave her a sympathetic smile "And it is I who should apologize, I didn't mean to startle you with my words."

Amu stayed silent for a moment before she gave him a small tired smile. "It's alright. Now please, I need some time alone. Good day to you Hiro-san."

"Good day to you as well." Stated Hiro. And Amu left him on that note, and he simply turned away to another direction with a smile of his own. _"Things have just begun…"_

While Amu was away in the palace, Kukai had just left earlier that day after he had woken up beside Utau. He had excused himself and stated that he wanted to be able to help in the search for Ikuto. Utau had more than wanted him to stay, but also knew that he was just allowing her to have time for herself, so she had agreed to his request.

Right after the palace, Kukai had immediately gone home, only to find most of his friends there in the vicinity. They were seated in one of his round tables again, and this usually meant that they were talking about something important.

"Can't believe you guys beat me to my own house." He stated as he walked inside.

"Sorry for intruding." Stated Nagihiko "but we all needed a place to talk and we agreed on doing it here, so we do hope you don't mind."

"Nah, I never do. So, what's all this about?" he looked around and turned to Temari and Rhythm "With the two of them here then it must be something big."

"It is, actually." Stated Nagihiko with a sigh.

"Come on, let's not play dumb. We know what this is about." Stated Rima seriously.

"Okay, okay. I get it, but could someone please lighten up first. I know we need to have a serious conversation, but this is just too tense. We wouldn't want to lose the ability to think straight."

"As much as I want to agree with you, I do think that we should get the matter at hand." Stated Rhythm with a small reassuring smile.

"Ok I get it already." Stated Kukai with a sigh. He pulled out a chair and sat beside Nagihiko. "So, we established the fact that we knew what was going on, what's next?" he asked.

"I assume we have to do this one step at a time. First would be to figure out who actually took Ikuto." said Dia.

"Agreed. Everyone here knows he wouldn't just disappear without a trace on his own." Stated Miki.

"Any suspicions?" asked Daichi.

"The most obvious one actually." Stated Rima.

"The two brothers I assume?" asked Rhythm knowingly "Hiro and Kenta?"

"Well, I wouldn't be so sure about Kenta's involvement about this though." Stated Nagihiko.

"You talk like you're sure that he isn't involved." Stated Daichi "Something you know Nagi."

"Well, we did overhear something. Me and Rima-chan that is." Stated Nagihiko and this automatically got everyone's attention.

"Oh?" asked Kukai shocked "Then why didn't you say so? This changes everything."

"Indeed. Making an accusation is one thing, it may even lead to distress, but if you actually have some proof Nagi, then it would turn our situation around." Stated Temari.

"I can't call it proof actually. Just something that got me thinking. I wasn't sure what to make of it myself, but if it is indeed connected to Ikuto-kun's disappearance, then at least we have some sort of lead." Nagihiko stated.

"So, what's all of it about?" asked Rhythm "What did you and Rima hear that raised your suspicions of him?"

"Well, we heard Hiro talking to Kenta and…" Rima and Nagihiko had then begun to explain their side of the story. They had told their companions about Hiro not being in the palace the same time that Ikuto had disappeared. And they also stated the fact that Kenta had reprimanded Hiro of not coming home that day.

"Huh? Doesn't that make him guilty already?" asked Ran "What reason would he have to not come home?"

"Yes, that is suspicious enough to pose as an accusation, I doubt it's simply coincidental. Knowing the grudge that Hiro has on Ikuto…" stated Rhythm.

"But that information alone isn't enough to actually do anything to help the situation. Yes, it is true that this might highly show that he is somewhat involved, but other than that, we have no further evidence that he did anything." Said Temari.

They sighed, they all they knew that Temari was right. Right now, nonw of them had any position to accuse Hiro if they wouldn't be able to provide any clear and accurate evidence. None of the things they heard was clear, just bits and pieces that were enough to make them assume Hiro doing something. But assumptions aren't going to work on something as serious as the kingdom's prince missing.

"Then what do we do? We all know that Hiro is somewhat involved in this, so what? If we can't prove anything then all of this thinking would be for nothing." Stated Ran.

"Maybe there's a way to know if Hiro really did do it~desu." Suggested Su.

"What if I keep an eye on him for now?" suggested Kukai. "I'm the person with the most access in and out of the palace right now."

"Yes, as the princess's fiancée you do have that kind of ability." Stated Temari.

"True, and it would make it rather convenient for the rest of us." Stated Rhythm.

"Maybe asking Kairi for help would be a good thing too!" said Yaya "He's smart and Yaya's sure that he'd be happy to help out."

"Yeah, having Kairi on our side is a definite plus." Said Daichi "That guy can be big help in locating Ikuto."

"I'm sure the palace has already enlisted for Kairi's help." Said Temari. "He is the sister of one of their most loyal workers, and if they haven't asked for his help, I'm sure he himself is already doing something to locate Ikuto."

"He is, after all, quite loyal to the Tsukiyomi family." Said Rhythm with a smile.

"Leave Hiro to me, I suggest you guys keep an eye out on what's happening around here." Said Kukai.

"Yes, that would be the best course of action for the moment." Said Dia "We wouldn't want to end up doing anything rash and later regretting it, we would then be putting others in danger as well."

"I wouldn't want Amu-chan to worry so much too." Said Miki.

"Oh yeah, so we tell her about this or not?" asked Kukai seriously "She's already dealing with too much right now."

"So we don't mention it to her then." Said Daichi.

"Maybe it is truly best if we kept quiet about it." Said Rima. "I wouldn't want her to end up snapping at Hiro all of a sudden."

"Don't worry, she's a rational girl." Said Temari.

"As rational as she is, she's just a human after all." Said Nagihiko "Nee-san, we won't be able to prevent whatever tantrum she might do when she assumes that it was truly Hiro who had something to do with Ikuto-kun's disappearance.

"Worse, this might get out of hand if she suddenly starts to snap at any of the two brothers in the palace, and we wouldn't want that." Said Kukai.

"I assume that as rational as it is to not make sudden accusations, in Amu's case, it is normal. After all, the love of her life just disappeared." Said Rima. "Even I would freak out."

"Yes, and would we keep this a secret from Utau-chan too?" asked Ran.

"I think that's Kukai's choice." Said Daichi "You know her better than any of us here."

"Hm, I guess there would be no harm in telling her, but I do have to think about it first. I don't want her getting dragged into anything that can harm her, and yet, I do feel she has the right to know." Said Kukai with a sigh.

"She hates it when you keep things from her yes? And I think you have both established that secrets will not be kept between the two of you, as to not make another big misunderstanding." Said Nagihiko.

"Yeah." Replied Kukai.

"So that's it, and what we've talked about here doesn't go to anyone else. Except for probably Kairi and Utau." Said Rima.

They all agreed to that for now. Knowing that suspecting Hiro would be big news if ever it got out. They left the area maintaining a discreet status, not wanting any news or gossip to start spreading out, knowing well enough how fast news travels around the kingdom. And also, knowing that Amu may react harshly if known that Hiro could have been related to the sudden disappearance, and for that reason they are to keep it a secret from their dear friend.

**Somewhere in the Back Alley of town**

Just like what the others had assumed, Kairi was indeed doing his own work after the event of the disappearance. He too thought that it was strange that Hiro showed no consent whatsoever to what had happened. In fact, Kairi was smart enough to think about the sudden disappearance of Hiro during that night as well. He had remembered seeing Kenta but the young prince's brother was nowhere in sight.

He did owe a great deal to the Tsukiyomi family. He knew he did. For all that they did for him and his sister, and the Tsukiyomi siblings alone were enough to guarantee him people to socialize with. They meant much to Kairi, and he knew he couldn't let them down. Unknown to even his sister, Kairi's connections go far beyond those of the people in town that are seen on a day to day basis. He did have other hidden means of finding things out. In one of the areas of the back alley of town, lies a small tavern. The tavern was a room for business and socializing but not for nobles, those who do go are mostly merchants and some of those who want to sell other trinkets for money. There were no longer as many taverns as there were before, but this one stood out.

Kairi had entered the tavern with his coat disguise. He didn't want to attract attention as an informant from the palace. As he came inside, he wasn't too surprised to see it was empty. He pulled down the hood of his cloak and sighed. "Empty, how convenient."

"Came to see us again Kairi?" a girl said with a snicker. Kairi turned to see who he was looking for.

"Oh! Kairi-kun is here!" Kairi gave a smile to another girl that had showed up.

"Greetings Il, and El of course." He said with a bow. Yes, this was indeed no ordinary tavern, this was owned by two female twins Il and El.

"Greetings he says, stop that! We aren't your fellow rich people." Said Il with a smirk.

"Oh hush, he was just trying to be polite." Said El.

Although Il and El were twins, they were the complete opposite of the other. With Il being the more conniving one of the two and El being the more well mannered. "So, what brings you here anyway?" asked Il.

"I'll go get you something to drink." El had then gone off.

"I came for some information. I need to know if you've heard anything that concerns the sudden disappearance of the prince." Explained Kairi.

"Bah, again with this? Almost everyone in this town wants to know about that." Said Il "I don't see what the big problem is, they can send out guards to look for him can't they?"

"Yes, but somehow, we have a feeling sending just guards isn't going to solve the problem." Said Kairi. "Do you happen to know anything from your customers?"

"Hmp, even if I did, why in the world would I tell you. You may be an informant of the palace, but I heed no loyalty to that place." Said Il "They're simply there to rule."

"Now Il you know that isn't true. Utau-hime and you got along well the last time she was here." Said El as she came back with a cup of tea for Kairi.

"Thank you." Said Kairi with a small smile.

"Hmp, she's the only one I _ever_ get along with." Said Il. Utau had a habbit of sneaking out during her rebellious stage, and she happened to stumble upon the small tavern, and met the twins way back. Of course, she never told anyone about it. Kairi just found out from the twins themselves but he never confronted Utau that he had known.

"Anyway Kairi, if it's information on the prince, we rarely had any. Most of the people here have asked us the same questions but rarely provided us anything." Said El.

"I see." Kairi was dismayed, he thought he'd finally find something here.

"I could ask around for you." Said Il and then she smirked "But for a price."

Kairi looked at her and sighed "Alright, what is it?"

"Oh forget that, she's just kidding Kairi, we'll help you." Said El

"Whatever." Replied Il with a sigh.

Kairi smiled, he knew that with Il's help, it would be much easier for him to gather some much wanted information. Owning the tavern, the twins didn't limit themselves to customers who are village merchants alone. Oh no, their range goes far wider than that. They actually open their doors to anyone, and they do mean anyone.

For Il business was business and if it was a way to get some money, she'd do it. She had been able to convince her sister to open their doors to anyone who came, regardless of their background or records. This meant that they had access to people who had, less than clean backgrounds. Be it previous criminals or even those from the black market.

Of course, El and Il would know how to figure out which of their customers belonged to this sector. Sometimes, they could even get information, because they open their doors to even these people. They treat the twins with respect as they have been respected and are willing to provide them with information as their gratitude, and that was something Kairi was after. Though the twins didn't engage themselves into any type of illegal activity, they knew people who _did. _

"Will you be able to provide me with certain information that I would need?" asked Kairi again.

"Tell us though, what would you possibly want from people "underground"?" Underground had been their terms for speaking about those who have engaged themselves with the black market or other illegal activity.

"I need you to ask around for someone with a reputation for kidnapping, be it for their own reasons, or if they work for a client." Said Kairi

"Hm, so you think someone hired a kidnapper for the prince's disappearance then." Said Il and then she smirked "this person must have been really smart to have done something like that without anyone catching on."

"Yes, and that is what worries me." Said Kairi "If this person really did have an accomplice with a record, then it would be hard to catch him, and his accomplice."

"Why come to us for help though?" asked Il "Isn't the palace smart enough to figure this out on their own? Plus they have more than enough money to get things done. All they have to do is offer some big reward."

"They're already trying that." Stated Kairi "But it doesn't seem to be doing anything, because no one has a clue to where the prince may be. And I doubt the culprit would give him up for money if he had bigger motives. You two have access to people who work in such means, you can get me some kind of information that I may never get anywhere else."

"I see…" replied El rather grimly. She didn't support the idea of Kairi involving himself with anyone from the "underground". But if they were the ones to grab the information for him, then he wouldn't have to get too involved, and that was the only thing she could do to help.

"I know this might be rather troublesome for you, and I apologize for that, I truly do. I know it is rather complicated to grab information from such people." Said Kairi.

"We'll handle it. We have made quite a few friends, even in the "underground", there are many benefits from not judging someone from his past or present and treating them equally." Said El.

"I really do thank you, and I assure you that I will return my gratitude." Said Kairi with a light bow. With that, Kairi had taken his time to catch up with the twins and with what has been happening around town.

"So, is it true the Utau-hime is engaged? Of course there have been rumours running around like wildfire, bit still!" said El with glee.

"Well yeah, but I thought you'd heard all about her fiancée by now. I mean, with the tremors making their way around and all…" stated Kairi.

"Exactly, but it would be so nice to hear about it from a legit source and not just some kind of rumour." Said El

"So it's true then right? What's this fiancée of hers like?" asked Il beginning to sound curious.

"He's very similar to her in some ways yet different in all the others. Souma-san is, well, someone who can seem to control and match up to the princess. In his own ways, of course." Explained Kairi pondering about it.

"Souma?" the twins exclaimed as they looked at each other.

"Do you know him?" asked Kairi confused.

"Why yes, we do. We've eaten at their restaurant some time ago, and his brother was there as well if I'm not mistaken." Stated El

"But the guy is nowhere _near _being a noble. How in the world did he get the royals to agree?" asked Il

"He has his own way of doing things, and having Utau-hime and Ikuto-san to agree about him was more than enough to get the respect of the king and queen." Said Kairi "Although he has more than already proven himself to them with his own means."

"Oh how romantic!" El began crooning on how true love was.

Kairi sweat dropped, he knew how El loved anything concerning romance. Il sighed and looked at her sister with a rather half annoyed and half disgusted look. "Stop it jeez. I never liked these kinds of things."

"Makes most of us wonder how the two of you seem to get along." Sighed Kairi.

As the two siblings began to bicker about this and that, Kairi had been occupied with his own thoughts. If the twins would be able to provide him with at lean _any _kind of useful information, then he would be one step closer to finding Ikuto. but to start he was going to need some more help than just the twins, and he knew he had to ask the others about it too. Whatever happens next, he only hoped none of them were too late.

Hiro was roaming around the palace and he smiled when he suddenly saw a small pink haired girl roaming around the gardens. He frowned suddenly when he remembered what had happened earlier today. It lead him to the understanding that now was not the right time for him to see her. She already hated him right now, or that's what it seemed like, he didn't want to provoke her to hating him any further.

So, Hiro went away unnoticed by Amu. He had passed the area as silently as possible and led himself to the palace exit. He was suddenly surprised when he was greeted by Kenta at the exit. His brother had a small glare that was evident on his features.

"Why that look on your face? You look so mad right now, as if you want to kill me." Said Hiro with a small smirk.

Kenta sighed "It's not like that Nii-san. I don't want to kill you, I would never."

"Then why that look then?" asked Hiro as he approached Kenta even more.

"I just want to know why you keep sneaking out like this at night." asked Kenta with a exhausted sigh "I tire of doing this, worrying over something that I might never know anything about."

"Do you trust me?" asked Hiro

"Yes but…" Kenta was not able to finish as Hiro started to walk away.

"Then as of the moment, that is all you need to do. Trust me." And with that, he ignored his brother's protests and walked away.

"Wait! Nii-san!" Kenta called. But he had been ignored. He had thought of following Hiro to wherever he was going, but who knows what would happen if he did? After all, nothing good ever came out of upsetting his older brother. Nothing.

Once Hiro was away from the palace, he hurriedly walked to his destination. He had entered the place where he kept Ikuto locked up, and was greeted by Sai at the door. "Where is our prisoner?" asked Hiro.

"He's inside." Replied Sai coldly.

"Now, what's with that tone? After all your help, you should be thankful." Stated Hiro as he slowly walked away.

"Just so you know, you won't make it out of this. Someone will find you." Said Sai.

"Hmp, as if anyone would dare oppose me. I can have them executed by my parents if I so wish it." Said Hiro.

"You have such a big head _your highness _but somehow, I'm sure someone will find you." Said Sai. He knew Hiro's secret, and he knew that Hiro would be much more vulnerable if it were exposed. "You're a fool to do this."

"I am no bigger of a fool than you are. After all, you _are a murderer._" Stated Hiro with a smirk "Why else would I have bribed you to work for me?"

Sai clenched his fist, "I may have to work for you, but it doesn't mean I want to. I've moved on from that life."

"You might have moved on, but you cannot fully atone for what you've done in the past. That is something that will stay with you until you _die._" And with that, Hiro walked away from Sai wanting to see his "guest"

"You wait, someone will surely come for you. No one does these things without paying the consequences." Muttered Sai, after all, with his past, he had to learn that the hard way.

Ikuto glared when he saw the persom who had entered the room. He definitely wished he was unconscious now. As much as he didn't like being knocked out, it was better for him rather than seeing Hiro's face and listening to his voice. Especially when Ikuto wanted so badly to slit his throat to prevent Hiro from saying some kind of snide comment he didn't find funny.

"And hello to you too my dear guest. Are you enjoying your stay?" Hiro asked as he approached the tied Ikuto.

"Oh yeah, you're food here is really good, and the atmosphere is just as comforting, too bad the service and the company I'm getting is utter trash. Oh wait, you're quite worse than trash aren't you? You're just garbage, in all of it's wondrous forms." Said Ikuto joining in the sarcasm.

Hiro frowned but then he smirked "You know you won't get out of here no matter what you do. Might as well give up now." Said Hiro "I will have her."

"I could care less about what you want, you may have me tied up here for as long as you like, but you will never have Amu. She would never listen to someone like you." Said Ikuto, his voice suddenly turning venomous.

"Oh? It seems to be my lucky day. I've been glared at on my way to see you as well. I wonder why that is?" asked Hiro.

"Maybe it's just because people are so tired of seeing you're pathetic face roaming around." Said Ikuto.

"You're attitude won't save you, in fact, no one will be able to save you, because they won't ever find you." Said Hiro.

"Someone will, trust me." Assured Ikuto.

"We'll see about that." Replied Hiro. He was quite sure of himself, and no one else was going to stop him.

"Who in the world do you think you are anyway?" asked Ikuto annoyed.

"Hm? Oh just someone, who has been searching for Amu _for a very long time…_" Replied Hiro with a laugh and with that he left Ikuto with only one question…

"What the heck is he talking about?" the only answer he got was Hiro's laughter, and silence.

_**Authors Note: Okay! So since I owe everyone for the SUPER LATE UPDATE. Here's a PREVIEW of the next Chapter. Hope to see you guys in the next chapter of the story! Thanks everyone!**_

**Preview: **

"_Go with you? Where?" asked Amu, she was surprisingly calm, and that wasn't the oddest part, she suddenly felt comfortable…'_

"_Eh? You mean that's him? The man that was responsible for the unsolved case all those years ago?" asked El wide eyed. _

"_I can't just stand around anymore, not when he's been neglecting you like this!" _

"_You're no one! Nothing but a fake! Don't even think they'd save you, a monster!" and if looks could kill, he knew he'd be dead._


	15. Trying to Uncover Hoping to Remember

**DSCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA OR ANY OF IT'S CHATRCTERS**

**-hey guys, I'm back. And here's a new chapter : ) I know how late I am, and probably very late. I'm sorry but my schedule this semester is not working to my favour. I have classes from 7am-7pm at some days and on most days my class ends at 7pm anyway. **

**-I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, and since midterms is within the next two weeks, I'll try to post either before or after midterms. **

**-thanks for all the kind reviews : ) I'm really happy reading them and please Review in this chapter as well, and I will try to answer most of the hidden questions in the next chapter, just to keep some guessing XD**

**-lastly, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to ****PiNkGiRl0618****, ****she tells someone to remind me to update and it's been great motivation so thank you :D**

-**Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter, There's another preview in the bottom. Enjoy guys, and pls Review!**

**Trying to Uncover; Hoping to Remember**

The clouds were gathering up the sky today, and it started out a rather gloomy morning. Il and El had opened early, as prior to Kairi's request, they wanted to start looking into their customers early, even if they knew that the chances of someone actually coming in this early would be slim, they were willing to take their chances.

"No one's going to come here this early." Said Il, she was a bit annoyed that her sister had woken her up in such an ungodly hour.

"Patience is a virtue. As they say, we have to wait when the time is right. You never know what might happen." Stated El with a smile.

"But you just don't get it! I am not a patient person!" said Il and she muttered "And I probably never will be…"

"I can hear you, and whether you are patient or not, you have to deal with it. Even if no one comes, at least we opened early, just in case." Repeated El.

"Whatever, let's just hope we find someone of use today. I don't want to imagine Kairi coming back here ranting on and on about his problems again." Sighed Il "I mean, don't get me wrong, I want to help, but I hate getting involved with those useless royal issues. I do feel bad for the main family though."

"Yes, well it isn't everyday that their son suddenly goes missing now is it?" said El "I want to make sure Kairi's assumptions are right, and Utau-chan is still a friend. I wouldn't want her to feel so lonely."

Il smirked a bit "Wasn't she infatuated with Ikuto once too?"

"Oh yes, she'd come here in a hissy fit on how he was ignoring her and all. I am truly glad that she's gotten over that." Said El.

"But who would have thought. Souma Kukai of all people." Said Il.

"Well, they say people find love in the most unexpected places. I assume that is what happened." Said El. She truly was happy for her dear friend.

The two sisters were too engrossed in their random conversations, just as they usually are, that they had neglected to see the man who had just entered. He seated himself in one of the chairs and suddenly just called for one of the sisters' attention.

"Excuse me." Said the newly entered customer.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't see you there." Said El and then she gave her sister a small smug smile and said "I told you so" in a sing-song voice before approaching the customer.

"Whatever…" muttered Il and resumed her cleaning.

Il had gone over the counter going about her own business as she watches her sister walk over to the oddly new customer in their abode. She eyed the man suspiciously, something didn't seem right, but he didn't know what it was.

"A pleasant morning to you kind sir, can I get you anything?" El had asked the stranger with a smile.

"Anything to drink will be fine." Said the mysterious stranger.

"Nothing specific?" asked El questioningly.

"No." the man didn't even spare her a second glance before looking somewhere else.

"Okay then…coming right up." Stated El with a sigh. She had never expected such a cold and odd person.

"I take it he doesn't talk much?" asked Il as her sister made her way to the counter.

"No, he isn't. I normally wouldn't pay much attention to it, if only it wasn't so early." Said El. "He doesn't help lighten up the mood."

"What did you expect? Besides, there's something…odd about him." Said Il "I just can't seem to put my finger into it."

"Now, now, we don't want to make such accusations all of a sudden." Said El, although, she had to admit that something about what her sister had said made sense.

"Just be careful." Said Il and she meant it.

El soon came back to attend to the stranger and gave him his drink. "Is there anything else that I can do for you?" she asked him politely.

"No thank you." Said the stranger and so El smiled before turning away without saying anything else.

Everything seemed to be normal as the stranger went about to whatever he was thinking. All Il and El had to do now was make sure he really was all he seemed to be. After all, they couldn't be too careful.

Meanwhile, with the twins doing their best to try and help with Ikuto's sudden disappearance, Kukai and Nagihiko had other ideas. They also wanted to help with the search, and so, they joined with Rhythm and some of the townspeople in searching for their lost prince. This search party had resulted to Kukai being away from the palace and returning a little later than usual.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" asked Nagihiko. "Utau-chan will be looking for you again today won't she? She needs you there…"

"I know." Said Kukai guiltily. It wasn't like he enjoyed leaving Utau, especially now, but still. "I can't do anything to help her if I just sit there. I asked her for permission if I could go today and she agreed. As long as I come home earlier."

"Will you?" asked Nagihiko questioningly. "I think it would help if you were just there for her."

"Yes. I plan to keep my word." Said Kukai. "I hate leaving her alone already. If it wasn't necessary I wouldn't. I just want to be able to do something to help, her and her brother."

"I do understand what you mean, let's just hope we get some kind of lead today. Utau-chan's waiting for you." Said Nagihiko.

"Thanks, and Mashiro is probably waiting for you too." Said Kukai with a grin as he saw Nagihiko blush.

"I don't know what you two are talking about, but I doubt it's making anything better." Said Rhythm as he approached them with a small smile.

"Sorry." The two boys replied.

"No worries. But we ought to hurry if we want to be able to get what we need before dawn." Said Rhythm.

They nodded and headed over to the rest of the people that were with them in their search. Kukai smiled sadly at the thought of having Utau stay in the palace with no one to stay with her, but he wanted to be able to help her, and one of the ways he knew how, was to search for her brother.

**Back at the Palace**

Utau had been wondering around aimlessly in the palace, waiting for Kukai to come back. She knew that it would be long before he came back, but it always helped her when she kept her thoughts on him. She felt a soft smile tug on her lips as she thought to herself.

"And to think a few years back I wouldn't have found myself to be so cheesy." She muttered softly. Thinking about Kukai and looking back to his return were one of the things she always thought of to make herself feel better, not that she would ever admit that out loud to anyone.

She remembered the talk that they had before she had agreed to having him involve himself with the search party for Ikuto. they had to have another one of their talks so that they would come to some kind of agreement.

"_Why would you want to go anyway? Don't we already have enough people for the search party?" asked Utau. She didn't want Kukai gone right after her brother just went missing. _

_Kukai sighed "I know, but I want to be able to help. I'm worried about him too, and Nagi's coming with me." _

"_Yes, you've…mentioned that." Said Utau as she turned away. _

"_So, am I allowed to?" asked Kukai with a small smile. He wouldn't do anything that Utau didn't want him to, that had been an agreement from the both of them. _

"_Just…be careful." Kukai blinked a couple of times before he asked. _

"_That's it? No if's and buts? You're just letting me go?" he sounded incredulous. Utau rarely just gave in. _

_Utau looked back at him and gave him a small smile of her own. "I know. Honestly, if it were up to me, I wouldn't want you to go." _

"_but?" asked Kukai. _

"_I do want to be able to also give you the freedom of doing what you want. Besides, you're doing this for Ikuto and Amu." Said Utau _

_Kukai smiled "Wrong. I am doing this for Hinamori and your brother, but I'm also doing this for you. Remember that." _

"_I know. And I appreciate it, but sometimes I wish you don't have to keep doing things for me. I feel sick of having things done for me." Said Utau with a slight grimace on her features. She hated vulnerability with a passion, and this was definitely one of those times when she felt like she couldn't do anything._

_Kukai shook his head and let out a light chuckle "I don't think that's possible. I don't think there would ever come a time that I would tire of doing things for you." _

_Utau frowned "You make it sound like you're my slave or something like that. It doesn't seem like a nice thought." _

"_Oh but it is, to me that is. If doing things for you gives an end result of you smiling like you do, then I wouldn't mind." Said Kukai honestly. He got a satisfied result when he saw a tinge of red on her pretty face. _

"_You have to stop treating me like a kid." She muttered incoherently. She did find his message towards her touching, but again, she would never admit that out loud. Her pride forbid it. _

_Kukai simply smiled. "So, in the end, you're letting me go?" _

"_Yes, do as you would like." Said Utau and then her face turned completely serious "But, you have to promise me something." _

"_Anything. You say the word and I'll see what I can do princess." Stated Kukai. _

_She bowed her head a bit; her eyes were then covered by her hair. "Come back safe." _

_He immediately draped his arms around her and held her tight, as he felt her clutch onto his shirt. Her hands may have been smaller than his, but he still felt it. "Just remember something. No matter where I go, where I am, I will __**always come back to you**__. And nothing's going to stop me from doing that." _

Utau sighed, a part of her missed having him around already, that one memory brought back so many others in the process. In fact, she seemed to be so deep in thought, that she had failed to notice the person approaching her until she heard a voice right behind her.

"Seems like you're keeping yourself busy." Utau jumped back, a bit startled. She turned and saw Kenta there with a small smile on his face.

"Kenta." She stated, her lips formed into a thin line.

"I take it you aren't happy to see me?" he asked her, not really surprised.

"It's not that, I just…I'd rather be left to myself." Said Utau as she slowly turned away.

"And where's your fiancée?" asked Kenta. His voice turning a bit cold.

"He went with Nagihiko and some of the towns people. They've formed a search for my brother." Stated Utau plainly.

Kenta clenched his fists. "He left you here?" he asked her, his composure breaking bit by bit.

"Not necessarily. I had allowed him to go, not that he needed my permission anyway, Kukai can do what he wants." Said Utau. Although she knew Kukai would never leave without letting her know.

"But he left you alone!" Kenta exclaimed.

His sudden outburst had shocked Utau. This was not what she had expected. She knew he was angry, but this much? And why? "why does it bother you so much anyway?"

"I hate just standing around and doing nothing! Not when I see that he's neglecting you like this!" Kenta told her, his voice with a mix of anger and sorrow.

That did it for Utau though. She had enough. "How dare you! How dare you tell me he's been neglecting me! Kukai's done nothing but care for my well being. All he's done, he's done to help me and my family!"

"He's done everything but be there for you!" stated Kenta not backing down. "All he's ever done is left you. Yes, he has asked for your permission to leave, but still! I don't believe you when you always tell me or anyone that its okay. Is this what you really want? For him to always leave you here on your own?"

"…" Utau was speechless, and she didn't want to admit that. She didn't want to admit that at some point Kenta's words held truth to them, no matter how ludicrous it could have sounded.

Kenta calmed down a bit after realizing that his outburst had shocked her. In fact, it had shocked him as well. "I apologize. But I feel no guilt to what I said. I know I'm right. He's been leaving you in the dark lately, and even if it is for your safety, are you really satisfied with this? He has a job and a family outside the palace walls. Can he really commit himself to you completely? Can he really fit in here?"

"That isn't something for you to decide." Utau stated, her glare coming into place. "I know how to make my own decision concerning those I care about, and I don't think I need you to question me about my relationship."

"Then are you saying that what I said holds no truth to you?" asked Kenta seriously.

Utau sighed and looked at him in the eye. "Listen, I'm no fool. I will admit this, it isn't like I enjoy it when I'm left alone. But I do carry on to the knowledge and belief that Kukai will come back. I trust him, and weather he'll fit in or not is a concern that we'll both handle together. It does get lonely for me, but the thought of him coming back is rather comforting. And that's all I need to be able to keep up."

Kenta stared at her for a moment, before replying. "I just wanted to give you something to think about. I do care about your well being, more than he ever will." And with that he walked away, not waiting for her reply.

Utau stared at Kenta's retreating figure and she clenched her fist. He was wrong, she knew he was. Within her she felt the longing for company, and knew that what Kenta said had bits and pieces of what she felt, but he was wrong. Utau had never felt cared for by anyone the way Kukai cared for her. And she continued to believe that it wasn't about what Kukai had to offer, it was what he already offered her, and that was something that no one, not even Kenta, could take away.

As Kenta walked away from Utau, he began to felt a bit of guilt for his sudden harsh words towards her. It wasn't his intention to hurt her feelings in any way, but it's not like he could find other ways to convey his feelings. He knew that if he wasn't going to fight for her, nothing was going to happen. And the last thing he wanted was to lose her without even trying. He did, however, truly think that Kukai would find it hard to adjust in royal life, and rarely did he ever approve of the young Souma's many absences.

To Kenta, it didn't make much sense, but what he failed to understand at that moment was probably the value of the things that Kukai did. He had, after all, never taken the time to get to know the other party, and his assumptions were only leading him to close his mind on reason and possibility.

It didn't take too long of Kenta's…brooding before he snapped out of it and heard voices emitting from a room he was about to pass. He stopped and noticed it to be Amu's room. His curiosity got the better of him as he began to listen in to what seemed like another awkward conversation.

"I told you that I wished to be alone." Amu had the very misfortune of having Hiro in her room, when she wanted nothing more than for him to leave. She silently cursed herself for not locking the door.

"And I replied that I would never have it in me to just leave you like this." Said Hiro. He did mean it, and he just wished she could see that.

"Please, I'd rather not have anyone here at the moment." Said Amu, albeit rather coldly for her usually kind nature.

Hiro sighed, this was much harder than he thought, but his pride had refused him to give up another day. "At least, if you will, give me a chance and please listen to what I have to say."

Amu looked at him questioningly before she replied. "Fine. I doubt you would leave anyway. But you have to agree to leave once you're done."

"Of course." He then saw her nod her head as she waited for him to speak "If I would have the honour to escort you somewhere? I would like you to spend a day with me."

"Go with you? Where?" asked Amu, she was surprisingly calm, and that wasn't the oddest part, she suddenly felt comfortable, as if something like this had happened before.

"Anywhere you wish. I only want to spend some time with you." Said Hiro.

"I…" Amu bit her lip, she felt a sudden déjà vu, but she didn't want to immediately say yes to Hiro because it felt like she was betraying him.

"Just give me a chance, to at least prove that I mean _you _no harm." Stated Hiro "I merely want to spend some time with you, and I know you would rather be moving around than moping here alone."

She knew she had to at least do something. Hiro was right, she's been doing nothing for too long, she wasn't even looking for Ikuto in town when she should be. "I want to go into town. I want to see if anyone's found traces of Ikuto."

Amu didn't see it, but Hiro's face turned sour for a matter of seconds, but he quickly composed himself and gave her a small kind smile. "Of course, I would be honoured to be glad to be able to spend some time with you, and of course, help you in addressing your current concerns."

"Then meet me in the entrance in a few minutes." Said Amu, she knew she would have sounded a bit rude, but just because she agreed to accompany him doesn't mean that she had to like it.

"Of course." Hiro smiled to himself, no matter how rude Amu had responded to him, he was still happy. After all, she had agreed, and that was all he needed.

Outside, Kenta had waited until his brother came out, and didn't fail to notice the smile on his face. "You look happy." He stated.

"Of course, she agreed. My plans are finally falling into place." Said Hiro.

"But she isn't happy." Replied Kenta.

"Oh, she will be. When she remembers, I have high hopes." Said Hiro with a bigger smile. "I will help her remember me, remember us."

"…" to that Kenta said nothing.

"Don't worry, the next part of my plan will soon be put into place." Said Hiro "And I assure you, you will get what you want soon."

Kenta blinked, suddenly getting an awful feeling inside him. "What are you planning?" asked Kenta. He might be forceful and rough at times, but what Kenta did to get what he wanted, was nowhere near what Hiro would do.

"You'll see. I shall see you again later." Said Hiro as he walked away with a smile, namely because he couldn't wait to spend time with Amu.

**Meanwhile….**

Ii and El have begun to get more customers during the rest of the day. The mysterious man was still there, and they didn't bother asking him to leave, seeing as the place wasn't full anyway, and they didn't bother to ask him why he stayed that long either. It irked Il to have such a man in their establishment without even knowing what his problem was, but she had no choice to let him go. After all, as far as she was concerned, it was his own problem, and it had nothing to do with her.

As Il went over around the different tables, serving people their drinks, she didn't fail to hear the sudden conversation of two other men in the vicinity.

"Eh? That's him? Are you serious? I thought he was jailed or something." Said the first.

The other shook his head and replied "No, I heard someone was able to get him out. Never knew he'd be roaming the town like this huh?"

"He has some guts to be around in this area. He's a lucky one to have been let out." Said the first man again "I wonder why he did it…"

"You mean "the incident"? It was all over town after it happened years ago, my folks said I was just a teen back then, didn't really understand what was happening around the place, but I know its him. His face was all over the place." If the two men wanted to continue the conversation, they didn't get the chance, because Ill had interrupted.

"You know, if you want him to hear you, you should talk a little louder." Said Il in a hushed voice.

"Eh? Il-chan! Jeez you scared us!" it turns out, these two were regulars in the tavern, therefore Il knew them.

"Yeah well whatever you two were talking about, you're lucky no one else around pays much attention here, or your subject over there might have heard you already." Said Il seriously.

"Yeah, well we didn't mean for it to happen like that." Said one of them.

"So what's this all about anyway? You have something against that guy?" asked Il, she knew something was odd about the man anyway.

"You mean you don't know him?" they asked.

"Nope, never seen him around here before. So, who is he?" she asked again.

"Well…." As the two men started to explain things bit by bit to Il, she started taking in as much information as she could. She waited patiently for them to finish before she thanked them, briskly walked over the counter and waited for her sister.

When El had finally finished whatever it was she was busy with, she saw Il with a rather pale face and she asked "Did something happen?"

"Oh man, that guy…he's bad news." Said Il.

"You mean that one who came here early?" asked El with a questioning look "I don't see anything wrong with him."

"You don't, but people do." Started Il "Do you remember that incident years back? The one where a family was killed down in town? And there was no trace of the family left after they were found dead?"

"Hm? You mean, the assassination? The one that spread to the entire town in one fortnight?" said El wide eyed "That was the only assassination that went uncovered in the kingdom!"

"Exactly." Replied Il.

"You mean to tell me that that's him? He's the one responsible for the unsolved case all those years ago?" asked El/

"Looks like it. They say someone was able to get him out of the death sentence." Said Il "And now, no one knows what he's doing here. He probably thinks that no one around here recognizes him anymore."

"Well, he was gone for a rather long time, and he has gotten rather old." Said El.

"That isn't the point El!" Il was trying to keep her voice down the entire time, and the two of them were conversing in small whispers. "There's something up with this guy El, and it isn't just some creepy coincidence."

"What do you…no. It can't be." Stated El.

"I do. I think he could possibly have something to do with all of this madness that's been happening in the kingdom." Said Il "And it would be nice to have Kairi know about him and look him up or something."

"I don't want to make any rash judgements." Said El "But, I do think telling Kairi about it would help. It is possible that someone with his background is involved."

"Stay here, I'll go to town and see if I can get in touch with Kairi, and keep an eye on him." Said Il.

El simple nodded as she watched her sister make her way out of their place. She looked over at the strange young man and noticed that he was near getting up from his seat. She sighed, while her sister was away, she might as well try to get some kind of information from the man, so she walked towards him, hoping to at least keep him there for just a bit longer.

Amu was taken to the town by Hiro and she dint bother putting up much of a fuss about it. Surprisingly, he didn't treat her harshly and she hasn't seen a single part of his smug attitude the entire time. He took her to places she wanted to go, and wanted to see. He even took her to Kukai's place, leaving a very shocked Daichi who stated that Kukai was out for the day.

"Can I ask you something?" Amu asked, she was currently sitting down on one of the town benches with Hiro

"Of course, fire away." Said Hiro.

"Why are you doing this for me? I mean, why? I thought you hated me, with the way you treated me when I was with Ikuto…I just thought…." She stopped there, not really knowing what else to say.

"Hate you? No, of course not. That could never happen." Said Hiro he gave her one of his rarest smiles and replied "I could never bear to hate you, after all, for the lack of better word, I care for you."

Amu sighed again and finally asked "Who are you?"

"Pardon?" asked Hiro, a bit alarmed by the sudden question.

"I mean, you don't just say those random things to anyone you meet do you?" asked Amu "And you seem to always pay special attention to me for some odd reason. So, who are you?"

"…" Hiro was silent for a moment before he gave her a small smile and answered with a question "Do you not remember who I am?"

Amu blinked "Am I supposed to? Because honestly, I don't." she told him.

"Then this is something that you have to figure out on your own, my dear." Said Hiro with a smile "I would prefer it if you figure it out on your own."

"Oh? And how am I supposed to do that?" asked Amu with a small frown "I know nothing about you."

"Oh but you do. Ou just don't remember it yet." Said Hiro "but I do believe that you will."

"No hints? I won't remember you by just looking at you." Said Amu.

"hm, just one would do. I've met you before, when we were…younger." Stated Hiro choosing his words carefully.

"I've met dozens of people before, even when I was younger. How will I know which one was you?" asked Amu confused, she never would have thought that she had met up with Hiro before.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to do it. It won't take long for you to figure out when and where you've met me. It happened more than once years ago." Said Hiro.

"I don't understand…" stated Amu, she was awfully curious now.

"Don't worry about it too much. I'm sure you'll understand soon." Said Hiro, and for some reason, she believed him, that one day she will remember who he really is.

Hiro had continued to take her around town, and he would tell her stories on his travels and about his family. She was surprised that she was actually having a good time, and even for a moment, she forgot the gloom that she felt just a couple of hours back.

Once the two of them were done, Hiro had taken Amu back to the palace and bid his goodbyes. He stated that he still had some things to take care of, and although he didn't wish to leave her, he had to. Amu simply thanked him for the company, and watched him leave until his silhouette disappeared.

"Looks like you had fun." Amu turned around to see Kenta behind her.

"Ah, your brother took me to town." Said Amu with a shrug, she didn't really know why Kenta was suddenly interested in talking to her.

"I can see that. Did he mention anything to you in particular?" asked Kenta suspiciously.

"Are you trying to get some kind of answer from me?" asked Amu "Why the sudden interest?"

Kenta looked at her seriously and spoke "I don't know what he told you, or what he's after, but please do be careful."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" asked Amu surprised. Was Kenta actually trying to tell her something about Hiro?

Kenta shook his head "I'll be honest, I don't know what he's up to, r if he really is up to something for that matter, but I do find it odd for him to suddenly take you out to town. I'm just telling you to be cautious that's all." Kenta started to walk back, but he was suddenly stopped.

"Wait! How could you not know what he's up to? Or if he's ever up to something? You're brothers!" said Amu confused.

"Hiro-nii is a nice person, I won't say otherwise, but know this, there are many things that may ruin any person's good resolve, even the best kind of people may fall. He…may be one of those people. Weather he is my brother or not, it doesn't excuse his possible actions." Said Kenta and then he muttered "Nor does it exclude mine."

"Then what do you want me to do? You aren't telling me anything that can help." Said Amu in frustration.

"You can do one thing for me. And probably for you too….Just Please Remember." Said Kenta and he walked away from Amu, leaving her standing there alone in the palace halls.

Before Amu could place another word in, he was already gone. If she was confused before, she was more confused now. What did they mean by remember? What did she have to remember? Why were they complicating things for her? And, who were Hiro and Kenta anyway?

Later that night, the door opened to the small abandoned house, with no one but those who knew of it stayed in. Sai opened the door, slowly, afraid that their captive was asleep, unfortunately, he himself wasn't so lucky as to not get caught.

"And where have you been?" Sai looked and saw Hiro standing there, with a look on his face that depicted anger.

"Out. I needed to get away from here, even for a moment." Said Sai.

"And you left the place unguarded? Are you insane? He could have escaped!" said Hiro referring to Ikuto

"Goodness he's tied up! He wouldn't be able to escape even if he wanted to! I needed a break so I went to a tavern, it's hidden, even to most townspeople! There isn't a need to worry!" said Sai.

"I own you! You know that! I can easily dispose of you, but you know that as well." Said Hiro with a smirk.

"There is nothing I hate more than a man like you." Said Sai as he clenched his fists "You're a monster"

"I am no such thing. I simply have the things that you want the most in your life, and one mistake, you may end up losing them." Said Hiro. "After all, I am a prince. And if anything were to happen to me, I have people who are loyal enough to save me."

"You're no one! Nothing but a fake! Don't even think they'd save you, a monster!" and if looks could kill, Sai knew he'd be dead. Hiro was looking at him with such murderous eyes, that he couldn't look away and not see the hate, not feel it.

"Be quiet! If there's anyone here who's a monster, it's you! After all, you've killed haven't you? And you've managed to take out an entire family, all on your own, all those years ago. You have quite the reputation Sai. If I didn't get you out, then you wouldn't even be free." Said Hiro with a smug look on his face.

"You won't get her, and one way or another, people will find the prince." Said Sai as he clenched his fists.

"No they won't, you surely wouldn't tell them, or it would cost you. And you wouldn't want that, would you? Of course not." Hiro began to walk away "Take care of him, and make sure he stays here, and please, no more missing in action, if you will."

As Hiro walked away, Sai could no longer say anything in his defence. After all, Hiro did have something that Sai needed to get back, badly. And with his old reputation, there was no way that was going to get someone to believe him. he only hoped that things would take their turn, as much as Sai loathed the situation he was in, he was in no way happy in seeing others suffer like had. He brought this upon himself, and now his past was coming to haunt him, he simply continued to pray that the young prince wouldn't suffer as much…

Unknown to the two of them Ikuto was wide awake in his room, even if he was asleep or resting, there was no way all the yelling wouldn't have kept him awake. He began to wonder intently on the conversation that he had heard right outside where he was kept, it surely seemed that Sai didn't like his current employer. And that Sai seemed to have some kind of background that rendered him useful to Hiro.

One thing was certain to Ikuto, there was something big that Hiro was after, and he was willing to use Sai to get it, but what? What was Hiro after? And what means was he willing, how far would he go, to finally get what he wanted? More importantly….who was he?

**AN: Hey hey hey guys! I am back. I am sorry again for the late update but school has been taking up my time. Again I do promise to update soon and get a new chapter up as soon as possible and I mean it. I will try not to take months again. For the meantime, please enjoy this… **

_**Preview: **_

_**Amu woke up with a jolt. She finally got it, she finally knew "All those years ago…Hiro was actually…" **_

"_**What the heck? What's going on here? Nagi? Oi Fujisaki!" Kukai yelled frantically, he could not believe this was happening. **_

"_**I looked into it, and I might try to find a connection." Said Kairi "But to think he's actually alive, as far as I got, he even has a family here somewhere." **_

"_**Nagi…what did you do with him?" Rima asked frantically.**_


End file.
